My Life, My Wizard
by Jesusrosefromthedead
Summary: So, this story was originally by HorseGirl784, but since she had to leave Fanfiction for personal reasons, I'm taking it over. Angela made a decision that changed her life. Will she be able to go through with it? Chapters 1 through 21 were written by HorseGirl784. Any chapter after that was written by me. :) Hope you enjoy this story! :3
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Oh, why hello there. It is very nice to meet you. Jesusrosefromthedead is my name. :) HorseGirl784 had to leave fanfiction, so she let me take over her fanfic. I'm re-uploading the original chapters first before I start updating, so sorry if you're looking for an update. I'm excited to start writing more to this. Hopefully, I'll do well. :D BTW, I like smileys. XD  
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_**Jealousy Looks Good on a Wizard/ My Life, My Wizard  
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**Chapter 1**

**Wizard's PoV  
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The midnight sky was an inky black color, laced with the lighter shades of grey of little wanna-be clouds that didn't have the time to flee before the sun sank below the horizon. A cool summer's night breeze blew across the beach, ruffling my hair and sending it into my eyes, distorting my view a little. Brushing it aside, I continued to stare at the navy velvet canopy above me, watching the billions of twinkling stars.

You've probably guessed who I am by now. Harmonica Town's very own "fortune teller". Goodness, I despise that title with a passion. I am no mere fortune teller. My abilities extend far beyond peering into my crystal ball and searching for the petty interests and wants of shallow mortals. I am Wizard. And, as you can probably tell from my blatantly obvious name, I am a wizard. If you haven't guessed that by now, you are just as thick-skulled as the people living here. You say "wizard", they think "crystal balls" and "telling cards" and other voodoo jargon that has no bearing whatsoever with magic. True magic. The kind that I am skilled in.

I heaved a sigh as I continued to stare at the sky, picking out ancient constellations and watching them turn as the planet rotated. I was lying on the beach, by myself, as usual. Nothing had changed since I had moved here so many years ago. Except, perhaps, the very island itself. I ran my fingers through the sand and continued to watch the canopy of stars, engrossed in trying to figure out what mysteries they might be withholding.

It was completely silent at this time of night. Nobody, besides myself and occasionally Vivi, would even try to stay up just to stare at some inanimate objects billions of light-years away. But the universe had always fascinated me, ever since I was a young boy. A young, mortal boy. But I was forever barred from that life now. I couldn't go back even if I tried, and believe me, I have. So many times.

The quiet made it too easy for my mind to wander to other things. Castanet, my home for almost five hundred years, was failing. The land had lost its fertility, the ocean waters were rough and hardly worth sailing, the fires had vanished and the Harvest King was nowhere to be found. I gritted my teeth together at that last thought and clenched my fists on my thighs in frustration. Cephia was distraught by her brother's fading and her own weakness, and I could do nothing to bring him back or ease her grief. This aggravated and pained me to no end; I usually had no trouble with magic; I was more powerful than even Cephia, but she would never tell you that. I couldn't understand what was wrong and why I couldn't fix it.

I sighed again and turned my attention back towards the stars, noting a new pattern in them. I grabbed my constellation book and journal, and, finding the name, quickly sketched it out on a blank page. Said blank spots were getting harder and harder to find; I had way too much free-time on my hands for it to be healthy. I guess I could try and befriend the townspeople, but they irritated me. _Fortune teller._ I scoffed every time I heard that name slip from their mouths. Unfortunately, they now thought I was a rude, arrogant, jerkish type person who kept to himself. Which was partially true, I guess. I am not rude or arrogant, but I do keep to myself. A lot. A whole lot more than I should.

I tossed my journal away and began to leaf through my book. The sound of faint footfalls behind me, though, caught my interest and I turned around, only to be confronted with gleaming silver hair not unlike my own, and vibrant orange eyes. I let my face slip into a scowl as the witch approached. We had never gotten along and most certainly never would. She was an air-headed, cocky and self-absorbed woman who got on my last nerve and pushed buttons I didn't even know I had.

"Gale," she snapped, crossing her arms and tapping her foot. Her classic witch's hat was slightly askew from the breeze. "Why are you here?"

I rolled my eyes, since my back was to her and she couldn't see. "I'm always here. You're the one who's intruding. So, if you don't mind," I turned to glare in her direction. "Leave."

Vivi stomped her foot childishly as she glared right back at me. "That's not what I meant."

"Then say what you mean and _then_ leave."

I kept my voice flat but let it sound annoyed towards the end. The silver-haired nuisance continued to scowl and stamp her feet like a child throwing a fit. I was slightly amused by this, but my secret twinge of mirth vanished at her next words. "Why aren't you out helping Ignis and Cephia instead of sitting here sulking?"

I whirled to face her, getting to my feet as my anger got the best of me. This is what I meant by her pushing buttons I didn't know existed. She grinned wickedly at my infuriated expression, something only she seemed to be able to entice. "I am doing what I can," I hissed at her. "More than you will ever be able to do." She dropped her amused look and adopted her own angry face. "I am just as powerful as you!" she huffed loudly. I scoffed at her and stalked back over to my book, picking it up and shaking the sand out from between the pages. "Is that so?" I retorted sarcastically. "I don't seem to recall _you_ besting Master in conjuration, potions, or anything else, for that matter."

Vivi let out a screech of indignation and I smirked at her, knowing she absolutely hated it when I was right. "It was rigged, and you know it!" she protested, and I chuckled. "Or I could just be better at it than you. C'mon, _Witch_," I sneered, knowing she hated it when I called her that. She wasn't bright enough to know if I was calling her by name or insulting her. It was usually the latter. "I am stronger. And I am trying my best to use that strength to help the island. Just because you can't do it doesn't mean nobody can. It will take time." Vivi rolled her orange eyes and shot me a death glare. "I _can_ do it!" she argued, sounding more and more whiney by the second. It grated on my nerves.

She suddenly brightened, a gleam in her eye that always seemed to spell trouble. I groaned, and she scowled at me again. "I have a spell that I can do! I can't believe I didn't see this before!" She threw her dainty hands in the air and grinned maniacally. "That simple summoning charm! It should work, right?" Oh, yeah, sure. The only problem is that that one requires a massive amount of energy and strength, most of which she doesn't have. If she starts it and realizes that it'll be too hard, she will be able to stem the flow of magic, but will quite possibly change forms, into the organism that has the same amount of energy as she did when she cut the spell.

This should be good.

I snorted. "I don't think so," I warned her. Of course, she paid no attention to me at all and began rambling to herself about who-knows-what. She waved a hand at me when my words finally seemed to sink through her impossibly hard head. She snorted, saying "Yeah, whatever. I'm smarter than you, anyway, so it's not like you know what you're talking about." She ignored the angry look I tossed in her direction.

_I know a heck of a lot more than you, Witch_, I thought. I watched in silence as she happily scurried off towards her house in the forest, totally oblivious to what she was about to do. Serves her right if she ends up as a goldfish. I, certainly, would not be helping her.

No way, no how.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Well, here's the second chapter. :) I should probably be doing homework right now, but I don't feel like it. Yay procrastination! :D Well, here you go. Enjoy! :3**

**Chapter 2**

**Molly's PoV  
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"Oh wow," I said, stepping off the large boat and looking around the island. It was so _pretty._ So quaint, so tight-knit. Dropping my one, overly-stuffed suitcase on the dock, I turned to Pascal, the aging captain. "Thanks so much for bringing me here, what with the nasty waters and stuff," I said earnestly. The portly man chuckled lowly and tipped his little hat to me before saying " 'Twas no trouble, lil' Molly. Gimme a holler if you ever need any help." He tossed me a toothy grin before sauntering back aboard his boat.

I smiled and picked up my bag again, intending to get directions from someone to the Town Hall mentioned in the flier. I had picked up the strangely-colored (florescent orange, if you're wondering) piece of paper off the bulletin board of the college I had attended with my two best friends, Jill and Chelsea. It proudly proclaimed land for sale, and, without a second thought, I phoned the mayor, snatched up the land and packed my things. The year was winding down, anyway; Jill and Chelsea had also left to their own farms.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I almost barreled into somebody. "HEY!" they called just as I was about to step on their foot. Looking down, I saw a very short, round man with grey hair. I guessed him to be around fifty. His hair was curled in a way that it really shouldn't be, but his smile was wide and his blue eyes were childishly bright. He grabbed my hand and pumped it vigorously with a surprisingly strong grip. "Welcome, welcome!" he squealed. "You must be Molly. I'm Mayor Hamilton. WELCOME!" His voice seemed to get louder and louder with every word until he was shouting at me. I smiled a bit painfully at him and said "Yeah, that's me. The Island is very beautiful."

"Yes, yes, yes. Come along now." He abruptly turned on his tiny heel and started waddling away. I sighed and followed him, already a bit worn out from just speaking to him. I hoped everybody here wasn't as eccentric as him.

He led us up to a large building, with a sign out front labeling it as Town Hall. The mayor bobbled up the stairs and wrenched the doors out of the way, beckoning me to follow him. I lugged my suitcase up the marble steps, the bag getting a bit heavy.

Inside were a girl and boy, both sitting at opposite desks. The girl had short brown hair and brown eyes, and was so totally engrossed in the ridiculous mounds of paperwork on her desk she only gave me a little flick of the hand to say hi. The boy, however, was _much _more interesting. He was really handsome, with platinum blonde hair and icy blue eyes. He dressed like he was getting ready for a time-share presentation, but it looked awesome on him. He caught my eye and I skipped over. "Hi!" I said. I stuck out my hand to him and said "I'm Molly. I'm gonna be the new farmer. What's your name?" The boy just stared at my hand, then looked up and inspected me. "_You're _the new farmer? But you're a girl!"

I glared at him indignantly as he continued to stare at me, annoyance sparking in his pretty blue eyes. "So?" I finally huffed, crossing my arms over my chest. "Girls can be farmers. And for your information," I slapped my hands down on the desk, making his pencil container fall over and spill. "I'm a _woman._ Not a girl." He opened his mouth to retort, his irritation now blatantly obvious. Before he could, I flicked his nose and stalked past his desk. I heard the lady at the other desk snicker, and the boy snapped, "Shut up, Elli." Elli laughed louder.

Hamilton smiled broadly as his eyes flickered between the irritating-but-drop-dead-gorgeous man at the desk and me. "So you've met Gilligan?" I rolled my eyes and grudgingly said yes. "Splendid! You'll make a fine wife for him!"

Both Gilligan and I blanched at the old man and started spluttering. The blonde man's face was tomato red and I couldn't seem to get my tongue to cooperate. Elli was now roaring with laughter, clutching her stomach and wiping her eyes as the guffaws continued to come. When she finally got a hold of herself, she chortled "Oh, I like you, Molly. Feel free to stop by anytime." She gave me a huge smile as I followed the mayor into his tiny closet of an office. He sat down behind his equally small desk and folded his hands. "Now," he said, still grinning from the possibility of having found the man outside a wife. "Let's get down to business. I'll be needing the promised 5000G-"

"WHAT?" I yelled, gripping the edge of the desk. "The flyer didn't say anything about _money!_" I yanked out the sheet of paper and shoved it under his huge nose, pointing out that the flyer really didn't say anything about a payment. His beady eyes scanned the print before he smiled lazily. "Ah, it seems I forgot to mention that." "Yeah, you did," I said through gritted teeth. I had the money, actually, but it was supposed to be for farm-like things, not my actual house!

"Is that a problem? I can always just let you pay us back whenever you get the money. But, you'll be charged interest, of course, so-"

My growl of frustration cut him off as I snatched up my bag and rifled through it, taking out the thick wad of money I hadn't planned on giving him. I reluctantly forked it over and watched as the little man's eyes lit up. "Excellent!" he squealed again. "Your house will be ready shortly." He handed me a crinkled piece of paper, and when I unrolled it, I saw it was a map. "Stop by the Ocarina Inn and talk to Jake and Colleen. They'll let you stay for a few days while your house is being built." He hopped down off his chair and waddled back to the door. "Stop by again anytime to visit me and Gilly!" "FATHER!" The boy from earlier shouted. "Stop _calling _me that!"

I chuckled as I walked past Hamilton and back into the foyer. Unsure of what to call the mayor's son, I said "I'll do that, Mr. Mayor." This seemed to please him to no end, and he bobbed away, his giant curl bouncing.

"I'm sorry about my father," Gilligan-slash-Gilly said. "He never leaves me alone and is always meddling in my personal life." I smiled at him and said "No worries. Except now I'm flat-out broke and have to stay at some inn." I glanced at him again. "Uh, what should I call you? Gilly?"

"No!" he responded quickly, flushing with irritation. I smirked at the unlikely son of the mayor. "Just call me Gill. Please." His tone annoyed me a little, and, huffing as I whirled away, I said "We'll see." I left him gaping at me as I sauntered outside into the summer sun, inspecting the map and tucking it away when I spotted the inn located in Harmonica Town. I stuffed the map back into my bag and lugged my suitcase the whole way there, occasionally being stopped by a random villager to be introduced.

It took me so long to reach the inn that by the time I did, I had met Owen, Phoebe, Calvin, Anissa, Jin, Luna, Candace, Julius, Luke, and a whole lot of other people who I couldn't seem to remember. Actually, so many new names and faces had been shoved into my head that they were all swirling around each other, and I couldn't remember if Owen was the burly, red-headed blacksmith or the slightly crazy blue haired man with the axe.

I pushed open the inn door and slammed my bag down on the wooden floor, making the seven people in the room jump out of their skin. "Oops," I panted. "Sorry. I'm Molly, I just arrived and I need a room. Hamilton conned me outta five grand, so uh...can I open a tab or something?" The people stared at me, a couple of them with their mouths hanging open. I flushed a little and said "Uh, is this not a good time? I can leave..."

"Oh, no no, dear! Of course not!" One woman said. She had on a green, modest dress and had short, almost pinkish hair. "We're just surprised you finally arrived! Hamilton said that someone was going to take over the farm, but we didn't really believe him..." she trailed off before walking up and shaking my hand. "I'm Colleen, Deary, and this is Maya, my daughter-" she pointed to a cute blonde with a waitress-type-dress and braids, "-Yolanda, my mother-" a plump woman with purplish hair and a nose similar to Hamilton's, "-my husband Jake-" a tall man with graying hair wearing a vest and slacks, "-Hayden-" a brawny man with a beard so bushy you couldn't see his mouth, "-his daughter Kathy-" a pretty woman with blonde hair, green eyes and western style clothing, "-and Chase, Yolanda's protégé.," a super cute man with peachy, messy hair and violet eyes. He grimaced as I smiled at him, and I scowled at his back when he turned away. Awesome. Another Gill.

Colleen continued. "Of course you can have a room, Dear. Free of charge; you won't be staying long. Luke and Bo are amazing carpenters. Your house will be done in no time, and I'm sure it'll be splendid!" She clapped her hands together excitedly. Ah, so Luke was the crazy axe dude. I'd have to remember that. And I think Bo was that little blonde kid that had more common sense than the blue-haired guy. I nodded at Colleen and gave her a warm smile. "Thanks," I said as she handed me a brass key. I trudged up the stairs, and Maya and Kathy followed, carrying my bag for me.

I stepped inside the simple room and flopped face-first onto the bed. I moaned into the mattress and almost fell asleep right then and there. Kathy chuckled as I heard the plunk of my suitcase hitting the floor. "Busy day?" "You have _no _idea," I groaned and she laughed again, making the bed quiver. Maya chirped from somewhere nearby "Are you really gonna start a farm? It's not easy, lemme tell ya!" I sat up at this and looked over at her, seeing she was by the vanity. "What do you mean?"

Kathy sighed and Maya came around to sit beside me on my other side. "The island is failing," Kathy said sadly. "Everything's been going downhill for such a long time. The soil is infertile, making growing crops almost impossible. The fires are weak, so people like Yolanda and Chase can't cook. They actually work over at the bar my dad and me, but it's been closed for a while now. Anyway, there haven't been any guests so Jake and Colleen have really been struggling for money, but nobody can come because the waters are too rough!" Her hands were clenched on the bedspread and Maya was nodding, looking sad.

I thought about this. The island wasn't what it appeared to be; something was wrong with it. But what? I intended to stick around and find out, even if I had to bust my butt to do so. "It's okay," I consoled the two girls. "I'm not going anywhere. I doubt Hamilton would give me a refund, anyway." Maya giggled. "He really conned you? That's just too funny." Kathy joined in her chuckling, and I couldn't help but jump in also.

I hurriedly unpacked my things, shoving my clothes into random drawers before following the two blondes back downstairs. It was quiet, Jake and Colleen sitting at a table and looking melancholy, Hayden standing ominously in the corner. The difference between him and Kathy was almost as funny as the difference between Gill and Hamilton. Yolanda was nowhere to be found, and Chase was sulking at an empty barstool. Maya's face became dreamy as she gazed at the handsome boy, and Kathy and I exchanged a knowing look. The naive waitress was glaringly infatuated with the snarky chef.

Maya flounced over to him, and I watched with wicked amusement as he started when she plopped down in a seat next to him. I bit my lip to keep the chuckles in, and Kathy seemed to be doing the same as the child-like waitress began batting her eyelashes and swiveling her hips around, making her chair spin. The cook shot Kathy a pleading look, but she only grinned haughtily. He turned to me, his eyes widening a bit as he seemed to really look at me for the first time. I cocked an eyebrow at him when he stared at me a bit longer than would be considered polite, and he hurriedly turned away.

Kathy and I watched little Maya attempt to flirt with Chase for a while before deciding it wasn't really as entertaining as it had been, so I stood up and glanced outside. It wasn't that dark out yet, so I decided to go explore the town a little. I said goodbye to everyone, thanking them warmly for their hospitality before stepping outside into the humid night air.

I wandered around aimlessly for a while, bumping into a few more people that I really tried to remember but ended up failing. The only ones that had stuck out to me so far were Chase, Gill, Hamilton, Colleen, Kathy and Maya. I had talked with them the most, so it made sense.

The sun was dipping below the horizon, and I started to head back to the inn when I spotted an unfamiliar house. It was white in color, with navy trimming and roofing. Protruding from said roof was a ginormous telescope, the biggest one I had ever seen in my life. Jogging over, I hurriedly read the sign above the door. _Wizard's House _it read vaguely. Wizard? What kind of name was that, and why did he have such a huge telescope? I knocked on the wooden door, listening for footsteps coming from inside to tell me that someone was on the way to let me in. I waited and waited, then knocked again.

Somebody was obviously home; one of the lights in the windows was on. Annoyed that whoever was inside was ignoring me, I tested the handle, and, finding it unlocked, barged through the door without announcing myself.

The living room was boring, with grey carpet and walls. A couple sofas sat in the middle of the circular room around a coffee table, a glittering crystal ball resting in the center. Bookcases lined the curved walls, stuffed full of books. I looked at a few of them, skimming the titles and realizing that they were written in a very odd language that I had never seen before. A wooden deck stood at the back of the house, curved around the base of the telescope. Two staircases, one leading up to the platform and another up to what I guessed to be the bedrooms and stuff like that, were spiraling on the eastern and western sides, respectively. I looked around for somebody in the well-lit room. "Uh, hello?" No response. "Helloooo?" Silence. "HEY! WIZARD OR WHOEVER THE HECK YOU ARE! I'M TALKING TO YOU!"

"You...do not...need...to shout."

I whirled to face the platform by the telescope, just now noticing the tall figure standing there. The owner of the silky, deep voice descended the stairs, throwing back his hood as he came into view. I gasped. This had to be the wizard.

And he was _hot._

His hooded purple cloak fell to his knees, a black turtle-neck underneath and a few chains wrapping around his neck. His skin was deeply tanned, accenting his disheveled silver hair. I could only see one of his eyes, and it was a beautiful wintergreen color. His white slacks fell to about mid-calf, where his black boots met them. His hair was partially braided near his face. He was young, around my age, and was even more gorgeous than Gill. And that's saying something.

I'm pretty sure I was slack-jawed, because the wizard's tanned face became just slightly confused as he arched one silver eyebrow. I hurriedly collected myself before I became a babbling idiot. "Oh. Uh, s-s-sorry." I stuck out my hand. "I'm Molly, by the way. Nice to meet you. What's your name?" Wizard couldn't possibly be his real name. "You...may call me...Wizard." Okay then...

We just stood there for a while, standing in awkward silence until I decided to break it. "So, you like to stargaze, huh?" I jerked my head towards the massive astronomy tool. He looked back at it, nodding just slightly before turning back to me. "Do...you need...something?" He spoke haltingly. It sounded like it was physically painful for him to talk. I shook my head no in answer, and he said "You best...be...leaving. I...am very...busy."

I nodded, not stung at all that he was basically kicking me out. "Okay," I chirped, smiling at him. "I'll see you later then." Wizard waved his hand at me, clearly indicating I was dismissed. I narrowed my eyes, a bit annoyed now, but didn't say anything as I waltzed back out his door. I closed it carefully behind me and began walking back towards the inn, almost bursting from the need to tell Kathy and Maya about my encounter with Wizard. I had never met somebody so intriguing! What was with the huge telescope, the weird clothes and the crystal ball? Not to mention the zillions of weirdo books lining every inch of his wall. And why did he speak so slowly, as if he was forcing the words out? Such fascinating questions.

I was totally zoned out, so when something rammed into the back of my head, sending my auburn hair flying and my titian eyes wide. I whirled around, hands flying as I raised them to self-defense poses. "Who's there?" I called out, glancing around me and not finding anything. The darkness only added to the creepy factor. "I'm not kidding, whoever you are. Come out!"

"Down here!" Something squeaked, and I gasped and looked at the ground, my face melting into a huge smile. An adorable little pixie was lying in the dirt, rubbing his forehead and readjusting his orange hat. He had a cute little button nose and orange outfit, with tiny little hands and feet. His little gossamer wings fluttered as he managed to take to the air again, and he floated up to eye level with me. "I'm Finn!" he squeaked again. "And I was sent by the Harvest Goddess to help you with your quest!"

"Harvest who? And what quest?"

Finn flew to my side, latching onto my arm. "The Harvest Goddess, Silly! She has an important job for you, and I've been assigned to be your guide! Now come on," he tugged on my sleeve. "We need to go see her _right now!_"

Despite my grogginess, I let the little pixie guy poke and prod me towards what I guessed to be the "Harvest Goddess's" home. There was definitely something weird going on here, and I had every intention of finding out what.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Wow, I like how fast I appear to be getting chapters uploaded. :) I have a really busy week coming up, so I might not be able to keep up the pace. I'll try my best, though. If you've never read this story, feel free to comment (though I'm not really the one who wrote it; I just adopted it). Who knows, maybe HorseGirl784 will see your comments. :) Anyway, please enjoy! :3  
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**Chapter 3**

**Wizard's PoV**

Summer third, Thursday morning found me inside my humble abode in Harmonica town, drinking my second cup of coffee for the upcoming day. I had stayed up later than the norm last night, due to the appearance of Halley's Comet. I had seen it many times before, being the ancient immortal that I am, but its beauty never ceased to amaze me. Even with my upcoming "fortune telling session" looming the following day.

I grimaced against the cracked mug as I remembered. Yes, every Thursday I allowed the townspeople inside my home to read their fortunes, or, more often than not, the heart of the person they fancied. Almost every time I did, it read the same thing. Each person of this small, humble town seemed to have found a compatible significant other. I told them the same things each week, but that never stopped them from asking again the next time. _Humans_.

Peering into the crystal ball on my coffee table downstairs every week became tedious after almost five hundred years. The ancestors of the current villagers used to come to me as well. They left Vivi alone, and as much as I hated to admit it, I envied her. Only slightly. The shallow wishes of the people here naturally began to wear me down after so long, and sometimes I craved silence and solitude. It's not that I didn't like reading fortunes, but it was all they seemed to want me for and being in the Fugue Forest by myself sometimes seemed favorable over that reality.

I set my empty mug in my upstairs-kitchen sink and donned my cloak. I'd had it since I was an apprentice, along with Vivi, to my Master. He gave both of us a keepsake when he took us under his wing; this jacket for me, and Vivi's hat. I had grown into it over the many years and kept it around simply because it reminded me of easier times.

Trudging downstairs, I flipped on lights and began rearranging the sitting room. It was strewn with notes, charts, tomes and ancient languages that only I could read. Leaving these lying about under threat of being stepped on by clumsy and inconsiderate humans did not appeal to me, so I simply stuffed them in a cupboard to read later. I scrubbed down the counters of my potion-making station and made sure all poisonous herbs and ingredients were locked away safely before I set about to polishing my ball. It was already clean, but waiting around for the first person seemed boring, even to me, so it was better than nothing.

A tentative knocking at my door interrupted my cleaning, and with a sigh, I strode over and opened it to reveal Luna, the small girl from the Tailoring shop. Her pinkish pigtails might appear cute to some, but to me, the color was unnatural and made her look like a child. She smiled up at me and squeaked "Hi! I, uh, came to have my fortune told and stuff."

"Of course."

I waved her in and shut the door once she was seated on a couch. She clasped her hands in her lap and waited patiently as I sat down opposite of her. "What...do you...wish...to see?" Luna bit her lip and appeared to be deliberating before she said "Will you tell me who Gill wants to visit him today? I go see him a lot, but I always seem to get on his nerves. Do I?"

I sighed again and nodded before reciting the incantation quietly. The room darkened as I closed my eyes and my hands hovered above the ball's surface. With the tell-tale flash of light, I opened my eyes and stared intensely into the ball. The mayor's son's image was just fading, and his desires were now evident inside the swirling heart of the crystal. I could not keep my eyes from widening in surprise at what was visible. This was certainly different. Welcome different, I didn't know, but certainly not normal. Unsure of how Luna would take it, I sat up a bit apprehensively and brushed my bangs out of my face, revealing my eternal mark of power and ocher-hued iris to counter my other green one. Luna eyed me nervously at my reaction.

"He...wishes to see...someone...different," I said slowly. Not pausing to gauge her reaction, I continued. "He...sees you...as...a friend. Molly...is someone...he...wishes to see."

I looked up at the girl, who was staring blankly at me. As what I revealed to her slowly sank in, her face fell, and she appeared to be deep in thought. "The new farmer?" she said, more to herself than to me. "She only got here yesterday, and he wants to see her? But why?" She began to whine and asked me to do another reading, but I had had enough of the girl. Shaking my head no, I got up and opened my front door, gesturing for her to exit. She got up, still pestering me, and I fought to keep the scowl off my face as I all but shoved her out the door. Goddess, some humans were so _annoying! _Especially when it comes to love.

This Molly development, though, was quite interesting. Luna was right on one thing; she had only arrived yesterday and Gill was already feeling wistful. She had come to visit me yesterday evening, and she appeared to be a nice girl. Loud and talkative, but friendly enough. She was...pretty, as well, but as long as we are being honest, a lot of the women here were pretty. That does not mean I'm attracted to any of them, which I am most certainly not. But it was true, nonetheless.

I sat down on the sofa again and, feeling lazy, summoned my coffee cup and refilled it with magic. I sat back and drank deeply as I began to think. It had taken Luna a long time to even stop annoying Gill by even being present. What was it about the farmer that had shattered what she had carefully built so easily?

Recalling our encounter, I remembered something. There was...something different about the auburn-haired girl. Being a magical creature, I can naturally sense the personalities and possible fates of some people. Very few have ever triggered this instinct, yet Molly was one of them. I felt that large sets of events, some unpleasant, surrounded her and beckoned to her. From what I could tell, she was innocent and oblivious to what exactly she had gotten herself into by moving here. I wasn't entirely sure myself, but it was big.

My thoughts were interrupted by another knock, and I grudgingly set my drink aside to let in the next observer.

Thursday evening began to draw near, and Luke was aggravating me. I had already done his reading, yet he refused to leave and I was getting impatient. We were sitting across from each other, him bouncing up and down in his seat and me with my arms crossed against my chest. The carpenter continued to bounce as I ignored his pleas. I would not look into Molly's heart for him again.

"Aww, c'mon Wizard! Just one more time."

"No. Now...please leave. I...will...not hesitate...to remove you...by force."

He scoffed at my statement and I couldn't help but arch an eyebrow at his disbelief. He shot to his feet and swung his axe around a bit, appearing to try and intimidate me. "I'd like to see you try!" he crowed. "Even Pops can't toss me around anymore! There's no way you could-WOAH!" With a wave of my hand, I had swept his feet out from under him and he was suspended in mid-air. The blue-haired man looked about him in bewilderment before saying "AWESOME!" He started to swing his axe again, which is, I take it, something he did when he got excited. Before he could hurt himself or my books, I carried him out that way and dumped him in the street.

"Do it again!" he shouted. I sighed and closed the door before he could demand anything else. Rubbing my temples, I sat heavily down on the couch. Luke had been the last one today, and by far the most annoying. That, at least, had remained unchanged. Almost every single male that came to me today was absolutely infatuated by Molly.

I couldn't understand it. To me, she was simple, innocent, chatty and loud. Although she was pretty, that didn't draw me like it apparently did all the other men. They all wanted to know when her birthday was, what she likes and if she might need any help on her farm in the future. I told them all the same things over and over again: the fourth of Winter, ice cream and strawberries, and possibly. Luke wanted to know if she liked racing and axes, Owen was wondering if she wanted to mine, Chase asked if she was a good cook, Gill complained that she was nosy but I already knew from previous experience that that meant he liked to talk to her, Calvin wanted to know if she liked archeology, Jin inquired if she had any previous experience with herbs, Julius asked if she was in to fashion, and Toby, the fisherman, wanted to know if she liked fish and naps. Then, they would all leave, looking quite determined and optimistic. It truly perplexed me.

Come to think of it, the new girl had been the only one who had not come to see me today. I found this strange, seeing as she had no doubt heard about the readings from the other islanders, on top of the fact that she had promised to come see me later. Her words from last night rang in my head, and I couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of hurt. It was...strangely soothing to have human contact, however brief, outside of my fortune-telling.

A flash of blue light filled my living space, startling me from my reverie. Standing in my living room was the Harvest Goddess, Cephia. Her long blue hair was pulled back in its two ever-present braids, secured together at the bottom by her ankles by a golden clasp. She was barefoot, as always, and her cerulean eyes were wide and excited, something I had not seen in a long while, not since her brother faded. I bowed in respect to the goddess and said "Greetings, Cephia. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Cephia returned the bow, her bright eyes happy, and I could practically see the effort she made to retain the calm, dignified manner in which both she and her brother used so often. I cracked a small smile and said "No need to be listless, my friend. I can see your excitement. Have you found a way to summon Ignis?" I hoped fervently for a yes so that I could get to work immediately. I was tired of the run-down state of the Island, and I wanted the original Castanet back.

The goddess seemed relieved that she didn't have to be impassive and began clapping her hands together. "I have, Gale, I have!" she squealed. "It was so simple; I cannot believe I did not see it before. With Finn to help her, she should find him soon and everything will be at peace once again."

Her?

Cephia must have seen my confusion, for she stopped clapping and made herself at home on one of my sofas. "Oh yes," she said nonchalantly. "I should probably explain the situation, shouldn't I? Well, you have heard of the girl Molly, correct?" I nodded, beginning to have an inkling as to where this was headed. "I sensed her as soon as she arrived," the goddess continued, "And I could feel that she was the one with the pure heart that I was looking for. So, I sent Finn, one of my newest Sprites, to be her guide and bring her to me. He did, late last night, where I explained the situation with Ignis," she seemed to choke a little on her brother's name. I sat beside her and put a hand on her shoulder in comfort. She smiled a little at me and continued.

"I told her about the five elemental bells; red for fire, yellow for soil, blue for water, green for wind and purple for heart." I nodded, already knowing this. "They went missing about one hundred years ago, and since then, the island has been deteriorating. Ignis used the last of his strength to tell me about one with a pure heart. As soon as those words left him, he disappeared." She sniffed a little. "Anyway, I told Molly about them. She was confused at first, but once I told her that if she could find the five bells and chime them together, their combined power would be enough to summon the king. She agreed to help, on one condition." Here, the goddess smiled. "She wanted to keep Finn around. They had become friends almost instantaneously, so I allowed them to part together." She stood and began to inspect my bookshelves. I watched her a bit as she wandered, waiting for her to finish. "Molly will be the one to summon him. I know this for certain." She said this with such great conviction I couldn't help but believe her.

Cephia turned to me and smiled brightly. "She is a good girl, Gale, and I expect you to help her whenever she calls upon you. Please." I nodded, and with another flash, the Harvest Goddess disappeared.

I slumped further down on my couch. I couldn't believe this; how could one girl, not even twenty-four hours after she moved here, change everything so drastically? Granted, this explained my intuition about at least one of the trials I had sensed she would face, but I couldn't help but wonder. What was it about her that she could revive the Harvest King when none of us magical beings could? I did not think it was for lack of power, but something different. Maybe the elemental bells had been the only way in the first place.

My door blew open, and I didn't even have to look to know who it was. Only one person had dared skip knocking before, and that person was Molly. I turned, and, sure enough, the new farmer was standing there in my doorway, her eyes bright and excited. Her Harvest Sprite fluttered by her shoulder as she walked in.

"Wizard!" she called upon seeing me. Molly skipped up to the couch I was not sitting on and plopped down on it. "Told ya I'd be back," she giggled. I sipped my coffee and nodded slightly, trying not to scrutinize her to try and see if there was some strange aura about her that caused both men to fall at her feet like flies and goddesses to bestow legendary tasks upon. I didn't see anything.

"So guess what?" she chirped. I looked up at her to see that she was smiling brightly, playing with Finn. "I talked to the Harvest Goddess yesterday and she asked me for my help! She wants me to summon the Harvest King! Isn't that neat?" She looked back at me, her eyes so childishly bright that I couldn't help but think that she didn't know the weight which the quest held. I wasn't going to tell her; she was probably under enough stress as it was, even though she didn't show it. She had a farm she needed to get up and running, after all.

"I...have heard," I said around the brim of my mug. Molly smiled wider and resumed teasing Finn. The Harvest Sprite was completely enamored with her, and she with him. He was currently playing with her hair, diving in and out of it. She giggled again when he flew out. I watched the Sprite for a while before she asked "Whatchya starin' at?"

I looked into her titian eyes, which were wide and curious. I blinked. Staring? Hm, I suppose so. "Your Sprite. He...is called...Finn...yes?" Molly nodded and looked me up and down. "How did you know?"

"Ce-The...Harvest Goddess...and I...are...old friends. She...has told...me...about...your task."

Molly's own scrutinizing became harder as she stared at my face. "Huh," she said, as if that little piece of information was vitally important. "I'm not so sure how I'm gonna do it, but I'm sure going to try! It can't be too hard, right?" She sounded hopeful as she said, "Finn said he'll help me as much as he can, but um...will you? I mean, since you're old friends with the goddess and all." Ah, so it _was _vitally important. Important in her argument to get me to lend my services.

I sat forward and rested my elbows on my knees, pressing my palms together. "I...will...try," I said.

* * *

><p><strong>*Sigh* I'm excited for when I'll actually get to write chapters myself. At the same time, I have this slight fear that I'll completely ruin the story. Oh well. I'll do my best. Hopefully, you'll all like it when I do get to that point. :D Have a wonderful evening everyone. Or day. Or morning. Depending on where you live. XD<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Hello, People. I know I haven't uploaded anything in a week, and I am sorry. I had a VERY busy weekend. So, I'm sorry, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)  
><strong>

**Chapter 4**

**Molly's PoV**

"Ah," I said as I looked around my little plot of land. "All done." Finn fluttered around my head, doing laps and encouraging and congratulating me on a job well done. We high-fived, and I surveyed my field again, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction start spreading in my gut. I wiped my brow and smiled, a little out of breath, but still ready to work.

The plot had been cleared of any and all junk, weeds and stones. The section closest to my little farmhouse was tilled neatly in six rows, three bags of tomato and three bags of corn seeds planted there. I had started a small pasture for whenever I got around to fixing up the barn, and the little tiny sprouts of lime-green grass made my chest swell with pride. I also had a small watermelon vine growing by my tiny farmhouse. Luke and Bo had indeed done an excellent job, and it suited my needs just fine. With a little determination and elbow grease, I'm sure I could expand it.

"Great job, Molly!" Finn said as he completed another lap. "You'll have this farm in tip-top shape in no time at all!" I chuckled as he did a little loop in the air.

"Thanks, Finn."

I took off my white work gloves and tucked them under my arm as I glanced at my watch. It read nine a.m, so I trotted inside my little house to take a shower. Wizard and I had agreed to start working together as much as possible to save the island, so I just suggested every day. He was a little reluctant to agree, being the anti-social man that he is, but I pestered him enough that he eventually gave in. I'd go to his house today at two-thirty. That meant I had the entire rest of the day to hang out with my friends.

I whistled tunelessly as I skipped inside, wanting to get a shower before I went anywhere in public. I'm sure I didn't smell too nice at all, as Finn was plugging his nose and making over-exaggerated gagging noises. I poked his tiny belly and laughed at his expression before turning to the bathroom door. "Who do you wanna visit first?" I asked him as I closed the door and started the water. I stripped and stepped under the warm spray, sighing as I felt all the grime and stink wash down the drain. I loved showers.

"Can we go see the Goddess?" Finn asked from behind the door. I sighed in exasperation. Finn _always _wanted to see the Goddess. We'd visited her twice already since that Thursday night when Wizard promised to help me, and it was Saturday now. I think we'd pestered her enough for one week. Besides, I wanted to talk to Kathy. That woman was hilarious and always seemed to know what was going on and why, who was involved and when it happened. Hayden would always yell at her for gossiping, but the blonde lady almost always ignored him; the two were so similar.

"Not today Finn," I called. "I wanna hang out with Kathy today. I haven't really talked to her in a while.

"Aww...okay. Can we go see the Goddess later?"

"No, Finn. No Goddess today. We'll see her tomorrow."

"But Mooooooollyyyyyyy-"

"NO BUTS!"

I stepped out of the shower and hastily dried my thick hair. My little cowlick thing sprang up almost as soon as I was done, and I groaned and glared at it from the mirror. I had such weird hair; it was poofy in the back and swooped in by my neck, and was the strangest shade of reddish-brown. Not quite burgundy, but not auburn, either. My eyes were the same color, except maybe a smidgen closer to scarlet. They were wide and made me look like a child, as did my wide smile and thick lashes. But, I liked to think I could pull it off; I was pretty cute, if I do say so myself. I grinned at my reflection before turning and opening the door, almost smacking into Finn. The little Harvest Sprite squealed when he saw me and plopped down on his favorite spot, on my shoulder just beside my neck. I chuckled and made for the door, in desperate need of some serious girl time.

"No. _Way._"

Maya and Kathy were huddled in a booth together, their two blonde heads close together as they whispered excitedly to each other. I smirked at Chase as he watched me come in from behind the counter, and he gave me a small smile back. He was an okay kid, but not really my type. I mean, sure, he was gorgeous, but...he was too rude and sarcastic for my tastes. He was pretty mean to Maya, as well, and I didn't like that. The little waitress was my friend, and he didn't need to hurt her. She was a delicate soul.

I slid into the booth beside my two girlfriends and whispered "Whatchya talkin' about?" They started a little at my sudden interest, but then they started smiling at me in a way that made my eyes go wide and my cheeks start to heat up. I gulped, and Finn began to whisper questions in my ear. I was too distracted to answer him, as Kathy and Maya were leaning in. I leaned away from their eager green and blue gazes. "Uh...guys?"

Kathy snickered. "Don't try to hide it, Molly," she said smoothly. "We saw you. Oh, we _soo _saw you. You sly dog!"

"S-s-saw what? I don't know what you're talking about!"

Kathy cackled and winked while Maya giggled and waggled her eyebrows. "We watched you go visit that fortune teller guy!" she chirped. "You go to his house every day! You're sooo into him, aren't you? I don't really blame ya, he's totally hot, but a little too quiet..."

I stopped listening and just stared at Kathy blankly. Finn was finally silent, but I could tell he was making an effort to remain so. I could feel the little tremors he made as he tried to keep his chuckles in. The green-eyed barmaid grinned widely at me as Maya continued to babble on and on. I shook my head, a little dazed. They thought I liked Wizard? Really? Well, I guess it kinda seemed that way, as I had gone to see him everyday...but that was just to start restoring the island! We were, like, business partners or something!

"No, you two. You've got it all wrong! He's just helping me out with something. I'm trying to restore the Island, and I thought that he could help me out, being a magical being and stuff."

"AHA!" Kathy declared, pointing her finger at me. "SO WE HAVE A CONFESSION!"

"What!" I shrieked. "That's not what I said at all! Did you even listen to me?" Finn was now roaring with laughter, unable to control himself.

"BUT YOU DIDN'T DENY IT!"

"Shhhh!" Maya and I both hissed. I glared at the two of them. "I won't deny that I think Wizard is _insanely _attractive. But that doesn't mean I like him. I don't." I sat back and folded my arms across my chest, still glowering at them. "He's just helping me out. It's purely a business relationship. Nothing more. Besides," I sat forward and rested my elbows on the table, "this is _Wizard _we're talking about. He's so antisocial and quiet I don't think it's even possible for him to like anyone, much less me. I get on his nerves a lot." I chuckled as I remembered him kicking me out that first day we met.

"Molly," Finn whispered in my ear, finally able to get a hold of himself. "You're blushing. Like, really hard."

Before I could digest what he said, Maya and Kathy slipped back into the mischievous smirks they were giving me earlier. "Your face is red!" Maya said, and the barmaid started cackling again. I scowled at everybody there. I did NOT like the Wizard! Really! I promise...yeah, I promise!

Kathy's laughter was reaching a pretty high volume, and Chase was shooting us annoyed looks as he polished an already-clean glass. He was about to say something, but Kathy beat him to it, once she managed to stop laughing long enough to actually force the words out. What she said only made Maya laugh harder.

"Molly, you wouldn't be _that_ shade of red if you didn't have a thing for the fortune teller."

A loud crash and the unmusical tinkling of glass scattering across the floor made me jump and glance around the room for the sudden disturbance. There stood Chase, polishing rag still in his hand as he stared blankly at our little girl-huddle. The mug he had been wiping earlier was nowhere in sight. I groaned; he must have heard Kathy's proclamation and was so shocked he had dropped the stupid glass. I threw my hands up in self-defense and tried to make myself heard over my two friends' laughter. After all, who would like Wizard? According to the townsfolk, he was only a simple fortune-teller, someone who nobody knew anything about. Chase must have this mindset, too, or else he wouldn't be so surprised.

"I-I-It's not true, Chase, I swear! T-They're just making something out of nothing!"

I must have imagined the flash of relief in his eyes as he bent to pick up the shards of broken glass concealed behind the counter. I stood up abruptly from the table, not wanting to hang around any longer. I glared at the two blondes as they continued chuckling, and stomped over to the door. It was almost time for me to head to Wizard's anyway. As I was pushing it open, Kathy managed to choke out between snickers, "Hey! W-Where ya g-going?"

I almost said Wizard's house. Almost. But I decided that that particular answer would not improve this situation at all, in any aspect, whatsoever. So, I grumbled something about going to do farm-like things and fled the Inn, the door swinging shut behind me and effectively cutting off the sounds of Maya and Kathy's guffaws. I scowled and kicked a nearby pebble, sending it flying and clacking against the cobblestone street. I clenched my fists and continued to growl to myself as I made my way towards the wizard's house, beyond annoyed at Kathy and Maya. How dare they! And Chase heard us! UGH!

I haven't been here that long at all; only four days. While that was long enough to make friends, it was most definitely not long enough to start developing feelings for someone. Especially Wizard. I knew almost nothing about him, except that he was not just a fortune teller, but an actual wizard. He was old friends with the Harvest Goddess, and liked to look at the stars. He was smart and quiet, but kind as well.

Okay, so maybe I do know a few things about him. But that doesn't mean that I like him. I don't. Yes, he's good-looking. Yes, he's mysterious. Yes, he's dedicated to saving the island. While those are great characteristics, I haven't been here long enough to really start feeling anything. At least, that's the way it should be.

I won't deny that I was attracted to him. I was; who wouldn't be? But it was merely a small, physical attraction. Not a crush or anything like that. It was based purely on looks, as shallow as that may sound. To be honest, all the guys here weren't bad to look at. Except maybe Julius...I still wasn't sure if he even was a guy to begin with. But everybody else had something pretty cool about them. Calvin had the whole Indiana-Jones-cowboy thing, Gill was the handsome smart one, Chase was a drop-dead-gorgeous _chef,_ for crying out loud, Toby was just easy to talk to, Jin had that strong-and-silent persona, Owen was the beefy, manly type, and Luke had that whole bad-boy look about him. All of them were pretty cool...I wonder if the Harvest Goddess put them all here on purpose.

I sighed and unclenched my fists, my temper ebbing. I really shouldn't be thinking these things in the first place. It was unreasonable. I had an island to save, after all, and a farm to start. I wasn't looking for a relationship right now, anyway.

**Wizard's PoV**

I grumbled nonsense to myself as I straightened up for the second time this week. Molly had insisted on researching the history and possible whereabouts of the elemental bells _every day._ The girl was as hard-headed and iron-willed as Irene, Jin's aging grandmother from Choral Clinic. I most definitely was not a people person, and having to actually spend hours with someone every day for an indefinite amount of time did not appeal to me in the slightest. Even if it was Molly.

I did not mind the new farm girl as much as I thought I would. She was a nice break, I guess you could say, from the regular personas of the other villagers. I had told her yesterday that although I did tell fortunes, that was not the only thing I was capable of. To my surprise, she took me at my word and didn't ask any other questions on that topic. She didn't even ask me to do a reading for her; she was a nice girl.

Even still, she talked. All. The. Time. I'm surprised my ears have not fallen off yet from overuse. While what she said usually was nothing but idle chatter, she would occasionally say something profound that not only caught me off-guard, but revealed more of her character. She was a simple person, as I could easily tell even though I had known her for only a few short days. She was innocent, naive and bubbly. Everything I wasn't. She was shockingly oblivious to the affections that were fast growing for her in most of the males here.

Yes, I know what you're thinking. I am not-so-ashamed to admit that I had watched her one day through my crystal ball. Yesterday, actually. I was merely curious as to how she interacted with the other islanders, particularly the men. I wasn't sure what I had expected, exactly, but it certainly wasn't what I saw. Some of them, namely Luke, followed her around like lost puppies, and yet she had absolutely no idea why and made no move to stop it as a result. Hopefully she'd wise up soon so she could either choose who she wanted to be with or send them on their ways. Preferably the latter.

Before I could pursue the reason why I had had that strange thought, a soft knocking sounded on my door. I pulled myself from my admittedly odd wonderings and opened the door to reveal Molly, who looked like she was thinking deeply. She jumped a little when I cleared my throat to get her attention, and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry," she mumbled. I stepped aside, and she entered, still not looking like she was entirely there.

"So what are we looking for today?" She asked, glancing towards my numerous bookshelves. "We've sorta gotten a...foundation, I guess, about what the bells are, but do you have anything that might say where they are?"

I nodded and approached one of the larger shelves and began skimming the titles. Molly joined me and began looking as well. Her progress was much faster than mine, seeing as she couldn't read the language in which most of these were written. All she had to do was look for the one book she could understand. She found it before I did and pulled it from its spot and read the title aloud. "_The Complete History of Castanet: The Fading of the Harvest King. _When'd you get this?"

"A...while ago," I answered, looking down at her. Her face was tinged a light pink, the fading remnants of a blush lingering there. I wonder where that came from.

"Really? How long ago? I don't really know how long the Harvest King's been missing."

"Um..." I said uncertainly, glancing away and walking towards one of the couches. I didn't want to reveal just how long I'd been here to her. She did not know that I was immortal. I did not want to tell her; it would most likely scare her and she wouldn't come back. Then, I would be all alone like I had been before she arrived. Living here for five hundred years and not having a single person come to visit aside from asking your services makes you both unbelievably lonely and socially awkward.

"You can tell me!" she chirped. "I'm not going anywhere. You're the only one besides Finn who knows anything anyway. We're stuck together!" She grinned widely up at me, lugging the thick book over to the coffee table between the two sofas and setting it down with a low _thump_. I studied her, and the pink on her cheeks became a little more noticeable. I felt like smiling at that, but I didn't. My smiles were few and far between, for good reason.

"Well..." I began slowly. "The...Harvest King disappeared...over...one hundred...years ago..." Molly gasped and Finn fluttered to her lap.

"Really?" She said. "Is that when you got this? You don't look like you're a hundred years old."

I came even closer to smiling. "I...am not."

"Then how..." She fiddled with the ball on the tip of her Harvest Sprite's hat. She gasped suddenly and looked back up at me. "Are you, like, immortal or something?" A brief pause. "THAT WOULD BE SO COOL!"

Well. That was unexpected.

I must have looked shocked, because Molly suddenly giggled. "You are, aren't you? How old are you? How long have you been here?"

I wasn't sure if I wanted to answer those questions. As I studied her again, however, and saw how much she truly wanted to know, I had no choice. I sighed and began leafing through the giant book. "I...am...technically twenty-five...But...I have...been...living...here for...over..." I paused, a little reluctant to say it. Molly smiled, encouraging me to continue. The words stung a bit on the way out and I grimaced as I said them. "...five hundred...years."

I finally found the page we were looking for and set the book back down before she could ask any more questions. I pointed at the simply drawn map of sorts. The pages were yellowed and crinkled with age, but still legible. I pointed to the small, faded picture of a red bell on the northwestern corner of what looked like Castanet Island, which it was. "This..." I said. "...is...where the...red bell...should...be hidden. I...cannot...say where, exactly...but...in this...general...area."

"Hmm..." Molly sighed as she studied the map. "That...kind of looks like the Garmon Mine district." She shot to her feet, sending Finn cartwheeling into the air. She snagged him out of the air as she whirled for the door. "Thanks, Wizard! I'm gonna go look for it real quick. I'll be right back!" With that, she dashed out the door, leaving me slightly open-mouthed with shock as I watched her go. I sighed and sat back, twirling the braid around my finger.

Add impulsive to that list of traits of Molly O'Connor.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Hello, Peoples. :) Yay, another chapter! :D Hope you enjoy it. Anyway, thought I would let you know, the chapters are all HorseGirl784's until I get to chapter 21. That chapter will be the start of my own, original writing. Anyway, hope you enjoy! :3  
><strong>

**Chapter 5**

**Molly's PoV**

I dashed away from Wizard's house, booking it towards the Garmon Mine district. Finn was frantically trying to keep up with my breakneck pace, his little wings fluttering so fast you could hear them hum and couldn't see them. I laughed as I pounded down the street, all wound up with excitement. We (quite possibly) had just located the first bell! That was quick. I briefly wondered what element it controlled, and decided on fire. It was red, after all.

We ran all the way back through Harmonica Town, through my tiny little field, past the pond by my house, down the narrow mountain path, right up to the cascading falls between my land and the Garmon Mine district. It was really pretty over here...except for the dreaded crossing.

I hurtled to a stop by the bridge that crossed over to the district. Finn crashed into the back of my head and dropped to the ground like a fly, yelping as he went. "Hey!" he complained. "Why'd you stop?"

"We have to go carefully across. I don't want to fall," I answered, eyeing the rickety structure. I'd crossed it once before, while exploring the lower levels of the mines, but that didn't make this time any less nerve-wracking. Taking a deep breath, I stepped lightly onto the first plank. It creaked a little, but held my weight. Finn fluttered a few feet ahead of me, not at all worried about gravity and what it could do to you should you plummet over the side. I kept my eyes on the little sprite as I carefully took another step, then another and another until we reached the other side. I let out a gusty sigh and picked right back up where I left off, dashing up to the gravelly, rocky, smells-like-smoke district.

I paused in the middle of the street, taking in my surroundings. It was mostly empty. The shops were all open at around this time of day, and everybody was either standing behind their counters or out and about in the mines. It was a bit dreary out here, but held an air of adventure that never failed to enthrall me. I needed to decide where to look first. I didn't think the bell would be hidden in any of the houses, seeing as the islanders were always in there and would have noticed a strange, ancient bell by now. The forest path over by the general store was also out, seeing as that would take me out of this district. The streets were empty; no sign of a bell here, either.

My auburn gaze fell on the towering mountain in front of me, and it suddenly clicked. I grinned widely and snatched Finn out of the air as I flew down the road and into the mine. Inside, it was dark and musty, with only a few lanterns hanging from the rocky walls to provide any light. I stopped before the two entrances; the lower or upper mines first? I turned to my Sprite companion.

"What do you think?" I asked him. He gave me a confused look. "Should we start up high and work our way down, or start low and go up?"

"Start low," he advised, tugging on his cap. "We've been down there a couple times already, so we know our way around better."

"But I haven't seen any bells down there..."

Finn shrugged his tiny shoulders and took the lead, fluttering into the cavern and calling for me over his shoulder. I followed him in, grabbing one of the lights from the walls to be safe.

The cavern inside was just as dank and dark and depressing as the one we had just left. Finn actually emitted his own orangey glow, so I followed him around as we wandered about in the caves, searching for anything that might possibly or even remotely give us a hint to where the stupid bell was. We slowly made our way down deeper into the mountain, until we came to floor ten.

Where I had once seen Owen hammering away at a massive boulder, there was now a small entryway that was illuminated by a couple torches on the walls. I glanced at the floating sprite by my shoulder, and he gave a tiny, almost-imperceptible nod of his head. I held up the lantern as we walked down the craggy hallway, trying to peer through the thick blanket of darkness to see just what exactly we were getting into.

Abruptly, we were in a large cavern. I glanced around myself, searching for the bell. I didn't find it, much to my disappointment. What we _did _find, though, was a massive, ancient looking pedestal. It was dark and rusted, chipping in places but obviously made for a bell. It had a small hook at the top where the instrument was supposed to hang. Finn and I gawked at it for a moment before turning to face one another. We both had the same unspoken question written on our foreheads: _Where's the bell? _

_"_Is it in any other part of the mines?" I wondered aloud, tapping my chin with my index finger. I circled the cave a couple times, swinging my lantern around to peer into all the little nooks and crannies, as if the powerful bell was simply out of sight. I turned back to Finn, saying "Maybe it's in the upper parts of the mountain."

"I wouldn't think so," the Sprite said thoughtfully. "Owen obviously busted up the rock. Maybe he thought the bell was a toy or something and brought it out for Chloe?"

"Hmm," was all I could say as I walked around the cavern one last time. I sighed when the bell still refused to show itself. "Owen's not stupid, Finn. I don't think he thought it was a toy." My companion grumbled to himself as we headed back out through the hallway, painstakingly climbing back towards the surface. I continued to wonder about where the annoying bell might have run off to when I suddenly smacked into something really, really hard. "Oof," I said as I stumbled back, rubbing my nose. A deep, booming chuckle startled me, and I looked up, right into the face of Owen.

"Afternoon, Molly," the burly blacksmith chortled, his huge hammer braced against his shoulder like it was nothing. "What're you doin' in the mines?"

I ignored his question and asked one of my own. "Have you seen a big red bell by any chance? I really _really _need it." Finn settled on my shoulder and yawned before climbing into my hair. I fought the urge to roll my eyes and leered up at the ginger, his brown eyes thoughtful as he tried to remember. His face lit up after a few seconds, and he nodded vigorously.

"Yeah!" he boomed, and I flinched a little. "I thought it was some kind of weird ore and brought it to Ramsey to inspect. He should still have it. Sorry 'bout that; I didn't know you needed it."

"Pfft, it's fine," I said, waving my hand dismissively and earning a wide smile from Owen. "I'm heading back that way, anyways, so thanks for telling me." I gave him a small wave and brushed past him, but I didn't get far before I heard the heavy pounding of feet behind me. I glanced over my shoulder, turning around fully once I saw Owen running to catch up. He was still lugging the massive mallet around, and he didn't seem at all out of breath after running with it.

"I'll go with you," he said, tucking the tool away into a large rucksack. "There're some bears that show up around here sometimes. It's not safe for a girl." I narrowed my eyes at him and crossed my arms over my chest. His eyes widened, and he backpedalled quickly. "Nonono, I didn't mean it like that. I'm sure you can take care of yourself, I just don't want you to get hurt...or something," he tacked on as an afterthought, running a large, calloused hand through his spiky red hair. I brightened immediately and smiled goofily up at him.

"Sure!" I chirped. Owen grinned broadly and followed behind me as we emerged out into the sunlight. I glanced at my watch; almost four o' clock. I jogged the rest of the way back towards Ramsey's blacksmith, the brawny man behind me keeping pace easily. Finn was still hidden somewhere in my hair, taking a nap. I have no idea how he managed that, but whatever.

We burst through the door of the smith's, startling the old man behind the counter a bit as we clomped inside. He leered at us before demanding in a raspy voice "Where were you, son? I can't find Chloe anywhere." He turned to me, his scowl lessening a bit. "Good afternoon, lil' missy. What can I do for you today? Not much, actually, but I gotta ask that."

I chuckled. "Hi, Ramsey. I wanted to know if you still had that 'weird ore'-" I tossed Owen a teasing look, and he scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "-that Owen brought you the other day. I need it pretty bad."

"You mean that bell lookin' thing?" he asked, tugging on his little tuft on the chin. "That's what I'm worryin' about. I think Chloe's out messin' around with that Taylor fella and they got into my ore inventory. 'Twas lookin' for it this morning, but I couldn't find it anywhere." He shot me an apologetic glance, and Owen sighed. "Sorry, Molly. Why don't you go find 'er? I'm sure she knows where it is."

I nodded to the old man, turning to head for the door. "That's quite alright, Ramsey. And thanks for the info!" I waved and tossed the two men a cheerful smile before pushing open the door and stepping back outside. I glanced around, looking for the small girl with pink hair and a ponytail. Where might she have gone? I shook my head a little, trying to get Finn to wake up and help me out. The little orange Harvest Sprite wailed and rocketed out of my hair, whining as he went.

"Hush," I scolded as he finally settled down. "We need to find Chloe. Do you know where-"

"FOUND HER!"

I whirled around to face the direction that my companion was pointing in. Sure enough, there was little Chloe, running away from the laughing Taylor and carrying something rather large in her hands. "Can't catch me!" she cried as she dodged her pursuer. "I'm toooooo fast for you!" I approached the squabbling children, trying to get a better look at what the tiny girl had in her hands. Finn gasped when we could finally make it out.

Lo and behold, it was the red bell.

Before I could snag the speeding girl, however, she lunged towards her grandfather's smithy. With a loud cackle and a cocky grin, she tossed the bell into the air and sent it flying with a good, strong kick. How her foot was still intact, I don't know. I watched in growing frustration as the bell sailed through the air and landed with a loud _clank _right into Ramsey's chimney. I groaned and shook my head as I approached the awe-struck duo. "Guys," I whined. "I really needed that."

"Oh," Taylor said, looking guilty as he shot Chloe a look. She pulled an appropriately-abashed face. "We didn't know, Miss Molly. Sorry!" Chloe nodded her head for emphasis, looking up at me with big, pleading grey eyes. She was so _cute!_ I couldn't stay mad at such a face. Taylor hurriedly made a similar expression, his slanted blue eyes wide and earnest in his apology.

"Aww," I cooed as I knelt down to look them in the eyes. "S'alright, you two. Just don't go messing around with other people's stuff from now on, m'kay? And Chloe, I think your grandfather was looking for you." The little girl nodded, and Taylor looked slightly crestfallen as she dashed away. He apologized once more before turning and scuttling off to do whatever it is that Taylors do. I smiled after him and hurried back inside the smithy, finding Owen and Ramsey staring at the ceiling with worried expressions. I slammed the door to get their attention.

"Back so soon?" Owen said cheekily as I sauntered up to the counter. Ramsey chuckled as he added "I thought you were gonna go look for my little cuz for me."

I waved a hand, saying, "Found her." I turned to look at Ramsey. "And I found what I was looking for...which just so happens to be stuck in your chimney at the moment." I sighed and drummed my fingers on the counter, ignoring the perplexed looks the two men shot my way. "Is there any way we can get it out?" I glanced at my watch again: four-fifteen. I had left Wizard's house at around two-forty-five, telling him I'd be right back. I almost snorted out loud before I remembered that I wasn't alone. I glanced up at Ramsey again, and he looked thoughtful. Owen had produced a couple of blue dumbbells from Goddess-knows-where and was lifting them as he stood around, waiting for an assignment or whatever. I turned back to Ramsey.

"Hmm..." the old man speculated. "I s'pose we could try an' blow it out with smoke, but the fires are weak as it is and I need a few ores." He looked at me thoughtfully. "I'll need iron, copper, silver and gold. Shouldn't be too hard fer ya to find." He flashed me a toothy grin, and I groaned. As much as I wanted to get this bell, I really didn't want to have to go back into the mines. Ramsey chuckled at my reluctance, as did the hulking man behind me.

"I'll get 'em for you, Molly," Owen suggested suddenly. I turned to face him, arching an eyebrow. "I was gonna head back over there later anyway. Might as well get the stuff you need while I'm out, right?" I nodded, and Ramsey chuckled again. Owen flashed us all a cocky smirk before ducking out of the door, his hammer in his hand and his jacket over his arm. Why he needed a jacket in the summer, I didn't know. Maybe for the mines; it could get pretty cold down there.

"HELLO PEOPLE OF THE SMITHY!" a loud, booming voice echoed from the front as a door slammed. I jerked in my seat in the kitchen before shooting to my feet and scaring Finn half out of his wits. I dashed to the front room, finding a beaming Owen with a bulging burlap sack slung over one shoulder and his hammer over the other. Ramsey eyed his apprentice with approval as he sauntered up. "I got your ore, Molly, and some stuff for the geezer, too." He chuckled as Ramsey scowled and set down his bag.

The blacksmith had left about two hours ago for the mines, and I had been waiting around in the shop for him since then. He opened the bag and pulled out the four ores, handing them to Ramsey who accepted them immediately. Walking over to the small fireplace that was currently clogged by the red bell I had been chasing most of the afternoon, he placed them inside and signaled for the burly red-head to come over to him. They cautiously started the fire underneath them, and I watched as the little flame sputtered to life. It was so tiny; I didn't think that it would be able to make smoke at all.

I was happily proved wrong as Owen gently coaxed the flame a little brighter, and Ramsey strode outside to watch the bell's progress. I walked over and helped the huge man, getting more and more excited as the smoke in the fireplace became thicker and thicker. The smell was horrible, but I really didn't mind. As long as I got that bell, it'd be worth it. Finn was behind us, cheering us on loudly, completely forgetting that the spiky-haired apprentice couldn't see or hear him. I smiled to myself at the thought.

Suddenly, we heard a loud _pop _as the bell exploded from the chimney. We stopped fanning the fire, listening in amused silence as a bunch of banging, clanking and yelling followed. I think the bell may have landed on Ramsey's foot.

Sure enough, when the blacksmith hobbled back in, the soot-covered ancient bell in his withered hands, he was favoring his left foot. I giggled and accepted the bell from him, thanking both Ramsey and Owen for all their help. Owen gave me hearty laugh and told me to stop by again soon, and Ramsey said that as long as this incident wasn't repeated, I'd be welcome back. I smirked at that, and strode out the door, heading for the pedestal I saw down on the tenth floor of the caverns. Finn floated behind me, still cheering. I rolled my eyes good-naturedly and said, "Thanks for your help, bud. You were the one who suggested looking in the lower mines first."

"Aw," the Sprite said, smiling a bit at my praise. "Thanks, Molly. You did a super-awesome-fantastic-amazing job!" I laughed at him as we made our way downwards, the light outside beginning to fade as time wore on. We quickened our pace, heading for the giant pedestal to ring the ancient red bell and restore the fires to Castanet. I grinned; I liked the sound of that. 'Restore Castanet'.

I trudged back through Harmonica Town, bleary-eyed but determined to tell Wizard about my success. Finn yawned hugely from my shoulder and snuggled into the crook of my neck. He was ecstatic; the ringing of the bell had brought out a new little Sprite buddy for him named Alan. The little guy was really hyper and super excited about our progress; I was too.

I pushed open the door to Wizard's house slowly, squinting a bit in the light and finding him sprawled on one of his couches with a book. He looked up at me with his usual expressionless face, then went back to the words on the page. "Any...luck?" he asked.

"Yeah," I sighed, yawning afterwards. Wizard heard it and set down his novel, sitting up to look at me. His purple cloak was hanging over the back of the couch, and he shrugged into it as I made my way over to him. I flopped down on the opposite sofa, moaning into the cushions from exhaustion. The magic man let out a tiny, almost inaudible chuckle at my fatigue. I rolled over and peered at him through my think curtain of hair. He was looking down at me, the most miniscule hint of a smirk on his lips.

"Did you...run into any...setbacks?"

"You have _no _idea."


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: *Gasp!* I didn't think I'd be able to get a chapter uploaded tonight. Somehow I managed to though! :D Anyway, I hope you enjoy. Feel free to review. Remember, I don't own Harvest Moon. Or this story. This story was written by HorseGirl784 who gave me permission to adopt it. So yeah. Maybe she'll be able to read it or something if you leave a review. IDK. Anyway, enjoy! :3  
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**Chapter 6**

**Wizard's PoV**

"Wizard?"

"...Yes?"

"It's hot."

"I'm aware."

Such had been our conversation for the past fifteen minutes. A little over a week and a half ago, Molly had restored the power of fire to Castanet Island, and already there was a large improvement. Hayden had reopened the Brass Bar, and the villagers were considerably happier as a result. Chase and Yolanda were euphoric to be cooking again, and I was pleased to be able to make potions much easier than before. I could light the fire with magic, of course, but that seemed trivial. A key part to maintaining my powers was to use them on stronger spells more often and less on the petty things.

Anyway, for some reason unknown to me, the ringing of the red bell also made it hotter. _A lot _hotter. Hence Molly's constant complaints about the heat. I was sweltering as well, but I was not grousing about it. The simple solution was to just wear thinner, lighter clothes, which I had. I had donned one of my only short-sleeved shirts this morning and exchanged the usual white slacks for a pair of denim shorts.

Yes, I know of denim. Don't act so surprised.

It was around one (the most sultry time of day) of Summer 16th. Molly had shown up early at my door, saying she was bored and that her two closest friends here, Kathy and the little waitress Maya, were busy now that the eateries had reopened. We were trying to find the location of the next bell, the one that would return fertility to the land, something my farm girl companion desperately needed. Her produce was not bad, per se, but it could use improvement.

"Wiiizaarrrrrrrrrrd," she whined, flopping down on one of my couches and crossing her ankles. I glanced up from my desk nearby, tearing my eyes away from the ancient book. She rolled over and propped her chin up on the back of the couch with her hand, peering at me. "It's really-"

"Hot. I...know. You've said...so a multitude of times...since you arrived."

She sighed and got up, padding over in bare feet to look over my shoulder. Molly had a very short attention span when it came to books, something I did not quite understand. She was dedicated and one-track-minded when it came to certain things, like farming and helping the goddess, but she could not sit down and read a book for hours on end like I could. It was a nuisance most of the time, for I ended up doing most of the researching for our project, but other times she would take me by surprise and commit to reading and staying quiet for so long that once I forgot she was there. I don't think there will ever come a time when I have her completely figured out.

I turned around slightly to look Molly in the eye when she came to a stop a few feet behind me. She wasn't dressed as she usually was, either. She had forgone the yellow shirt and khaki skirt, instead opting for a black tank-top and short, army green shorts. Her flip-flops were by the door, replacing her usual leather work boots. She sighed again and read the words on the page over my shoulder before saying "Can't you make it cooler in here or something? Even Finn is hot!" She waved her hand over towards my potion making area, where indeed her Sprite guide had filled up the sink and was using it as a swimming pool. I envied him, and I'm sure Molly did as well.

"I...could," I conceded, closing the book and turning around to face her fully when I realized that this was one of those days when she didn't want to do anything but talk. I stood and made my way over to the thermostat on the wall, poking the little button until I heard the whir of the air-conditioner start up. I turned to Molly, and saw she was frowning. I quirked an eyebrow at her when she met my eyes, and she smiled a little sheepishly.

"I meant do some of your hocus-pocus. I've never seen you use magic before."

I just shrugged and walked back over to the book, the stones under my bare feet cooling me off a little, but not much. "I...have never had need...to show you." I sat back down and began leafing through the yellowed pages, looking for the archaic map again. The yellow bell was clearly pictured there, but neither I nor Molly could decipher just exactly _where._ It was immensely frustrating. I had been poring over the map and other aged texts for days, trying to find out where it could be hidden.

"Will you show me now?" the farm girl chirped as she followed me back over to my seat. "I really wanna see, Wizard. I think it'd be cool!" I looked up at her, noticing her smile and wide eyes. Her cheeks were faintly pink from the heat, and her hair was a bit frizzy, but she still looked very pretty. She grinned wider, showing her sparkly white and perfectly straight teeth. Molly had such a nice smile. I almost shook my head after such a thought, confused as to why I had had it in the first place, but then I remembered that she was waiting for an answer. I had no problem showing her magic, it was just, like I said, I'd never needed to use it before in her presence. She had never asked to have her fortune told or any of the men's hearts read.

I stood up yet again, biting back a slightly annoyed sigh. "I...suppose," I mumbled, standing up and holding out my one of my hands. Molly watched me with rapt attention, biting her lip as she scrutinized every movement I made. I recited the incantation in my head, not needing to say it out loud; I had long since mastered magic and its uses. With a gentle _whoosh_, a small, subtly blue flame appeared over my palm. It flickered and waved lightly, the hot air making my hair float away from my face a little. Molly gasped as she stared at the flame. Hiding a smile, I wiggled my fingers and changed its color to red, then to yellow, then green, then back to blue. The farmer ooh-ed and aww-ed, and Finn fluttered over to watch the little display.

Then Molly looked at my face.

"WOAH!" she exclaimed, startling me and making the flame disappear as she pointed her index finger at my face. She rushed forward, coming closer to me than she ever had before. I stepped away a little in shock, but she ignored that as she reached up and brushed my ashy blonde bangs away from my eyes. I felt my face heat up as her fingertips brushed lightly over my skin, and I was fervently thankful for my darker coloring so she couldn't see the shade of red I was turning at her touch. Then it hit me.

I was blushing.

No, no no no no. I was NOT _blushing. _I don't _blush._ I've never _blushed _before in my entire life, and that was more years than I cared to admit. It was simply not true. I, Gale, did not _blush._ But, as much as I hated to admit it, the heat in my face and the sudden hammering of my heart told otherwise. I forced myself to breath evenly as Molly continued to brush my hair away, and she broke into a large grin and squealed when it finally cooperated with her efforts. "Oh my goodness," she giggled, staring at me. "Those are the coolest eyes I've ever seen! You never told me they were different colors! They're so pretty!" My face got impossibly hotter, and I quickly turned away before she saw the darker shade of it.

"I...thought you had...noticed by now," I said simply, trying to focus my attention back on the book, but finding it impossible. "It has...been...over half a season. You have...been unobservant...for not seeing...until now." Truth be told, I did not like my eyes. They were odd, strange, freakish. They'd always been that way, ever since I was born and throughout my short mortal life, right up until now. Molly, however, seemed to think they were something. _Pretty_, she had said. I wasn't sure if that was an insult, seeing as I was a man and anything about me being categorized as _pretty _did not sit well with me. But Molly was oblivious, and had shuffled back over to the sink where her Sprite was playing and began splashing him playfully. It seemed she had meant it as a compliment...nobody had ever given me a compliment before. To my face, at least.

I was aware what many women here thought of me, aside from Molly. As..._anomalous_ as it was, I had the capability to...er, read minds, if you will. The vast majority of the time, I blocked out the mental stream of information, feeling that man's last sanctuary was his mind, and it should not be invaded under any circumstances. But no one is perfect, so naturally I had slipped up a few times. I did not normally hear anything of vital interest in the minds of men, but the women...most females' first impressions of me were...

I'd rather not get into it.

Anyway, I had been extra careful to block out Molly's thoughts. I was sorely tempted at times to see what could possibly be running through that scatter-brained head of hers, but alas, it was not my place. I did not want her to find out that I had heard what she thought about me; it would most certainly drive her away. All immortals had the power, and many chose to use it. I was the exception, but that did not mean that Molly would accept my explanation. For all she knew, I could be lying. So, I tried very hard to keep out of her head, from the moment I met her. Remember what I said about sensing the destinies of others? That was what drove me to such caution. She was different and special; I would not interfere with her thoughts.

"Hey, Wizard?" a soft voice called. I glanced up from the book which I had not been reading anyway and met Molly's titian eyes. She walked over to me again, pulling up another desk chair and sitting a few feet away. She sat cross-legged on it, looking very much like an eager child. My face had cooled and my heart had stopped sprinting, so it was much easier to look at her now. She smiled widely and drummed her fingers against her thigh. "Can I ask you some questions?"

"About...what?"

"You."

I turned to face her fully, a bit surprised by her question. Nobody had been truly interested in me for a while, not since Master took Vivi and me under his wing. "That...depends on what...you want to know," I said hesitantly. I wasn't averse to her knowing me as a person, but there are some things that I would very much prefer to keep a secret. Molly mulled it over for a bit, biting her lip and twirling her cowlick around her fingers. "How 'bout we put a limit; is three okay?" she asked. I nodded at her and sat back, waiting for her to start. She thought about what to ask for a few more seconds before snapping her fingers with a triumphant grin.

"What's that white mark and where did it come from? I've never seen it until now."

I almost smiled. "Is...that...one question or...two?"

"One. I have more, don't you worry."

Satisfied that this wasn't too hard or personal to answer, I braced my elbows on my knees and leaned forward. "It...is my mark...of power," I said, watching her face carefully. "Every Witch or Wizard...receives one...when they master...magic. It...is permanent and...was given to me...by my master." I stopped talking, finishing my answer and waiting for the next question with growing apprehension. Molly chewed on her lip as she stared at me, possibly deciding on her next question. She sighed eventually and mock-glared at me.

"You know, that really messes up what I was planning on asking you. Now I wanna know who your master was." She leaned forward in her seat, gripping the edges to keep herself from falling out.

"I would...not have told...you even...if you asked," I said, smiling an almost invisible smile. She huffed and leaned back, once again messing with her hair as she deliberated. She took a little longer this time, and Finn fluttered over to us and sat on her shoulder, shaking water out of his ears and finger-combing his tuft of green hair. I watched him as Molly decided, and turned back to her once she did.

"You said a while ago that you're technically twenty-five, but have been here long enough to see the Harvest King disappear. How's that possible?" she inquired, her brow furrowing as she cocked her head a little and clasped her hands in her lap. I grimaced; this one was a bit more complicated. I'd have to talk more.

"When...you master your...powers," I began, trying to word this correctly. "You...are branded with a...mark of power." I touched under my right eye, running my fingers over the tattoo. "With it...comes full control over...magic, as well as immortality." I paused, making sure she was paying attention. "When you are...deemed worthy...of your mark and...immortal life, you...forever stay...at the age in...which you were...marked. I...was branded...at twenty-five. So...technically...I am still that age. If...you wanted to...count by...how many years...I've been alive..." I didn't finish. Five hundred thirty four years is a lot of time. I glanced up at Molly, whose eyes were wide as she gaped at me. I waited for some kind of reaction as she began gathering her thoughts. She finally turned expectant after a while, smiling childishly.

"Well?" she said. I looked at her blankly, confused. She chuckled and said "I wanna know how old you are. Won't you tell me?"

"Does...it count as the...third question?"

"No!"

I chuckled a bit and sat back, running a hand through my messy hair. "It...is not important. Now...ask your last...question so we can...get back to work." She didn't even pause as she blurted out her final inquiry.

"What's your real name, if you have one?"

I froze, my heterochromatic eyes going wide as I stared at her. She winced at my reaction, biting her lip but not recanting what she said. I couldn't blame her for asking; I'd never told her the rule. We immortals were not supposed to reveal our true names. They wielded exceptional power, especially after you had been branded with the mark. Your name, when spoken, would force you to comply with the individual's wishes, if they so chose. If not, then it was just a name. Even still, humans were fickle creatures and could not be trusted with such a thing. I was aware Molly was still awaiting an answer, and I took a deep breath. "I...cannot tell you. My name...holds remarkable power." I left it at that and hurriedly turned away from her, standing up and sliding the book I had been trying to study back into its proper place on the bookshelf. Molly was silent; a rare occurrence. Then, so softly I almost didn't hear it, she spoke.

"Will you ever tell me?"

My shoulders went rigid, and I was glad my back was to her so she couldn't see my face. I took another deep breath through my nose as I refused to face her. "You've...asked all your...questions," I almost-snapped, acting very unlike myself. I never became even mildly short-tempered, except with Vivi and on rare occasions Luke. But her questions had caught me off guard, especially that last one. I stiffly walked to a different shelf and desperately tried to focus on the ancient languages in front of me. I heard Molly get up silently and make her way to the door, slipping back into her shoes. "I'd better go," she said, sounding a bit offended. I didn't bother to apologize, still too...confused. "It's almost time for the bar to open, and Kathy will be wondering where I am." With that, she pulled the door open and stepped out into the baking heat, Finn following her and casting me one quizzical look before the wooden door closed.

I slumped down in a nearby chair and breathed out in a gusty sigh. I was baffled by my response to Molly's last questions...particularly the final one. The answer was not what it should be. And that was downright stupid and...yeah, stupid. I should have answered with a 'no' immediately. But I didn't. And I don't know why, which was very frustrating and perplexing. I didn't understand, and I'm not sure I wanted to.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Well, hello there. :) I know it has almost been a week since I last uploaded a chapter, and I apologize. I shall stick with my constant excuse that I have been busy. PLEASE FORGIVE ME! Anyway, here you go. Enjoy! :3**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon. It would be awesome if I did, but I don't. Oh, and these chapters until I get to chapter 21 are all written by HorseGirl784 and edited by me. Once we get to chapter 21, I will started writing on my own while trying to keep to the original story line that she came up with. She also let me know about a part she wanted to do in the story that I will try to include. Anyway, enough of my rambling. On to the story! :)  
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**Chapter 7**

**Molly's PoV**

My flip-flops slapped against my heels as I made my way down from Wizard's house, annoyed at the coffee-skinned fortune teller. It wasn't that I was upset with him for not telling me his name, but the way he reacted when I asked. He wouldn't even look at me! How rude! Then, he had the gall to _snap _his answer! I hadn't taken him as the type to get annoyed easily, but apparently I was wrong. It was just a simple question; there was no need to get all defensive about it.

Finn must have noticed my distraction, because he flew in front of my face and almost made me trip down the last flight of stairs out of surprise. "What's the matter, Molly?" he asked, his green hair plastered a bit to his head from all that swimming. "You're all huffy and stuff. Did Wizard get on your nerves?"

"Yeah," I stated simply, brushing him aside and stomping towards the Brass Bar. "Did you see how he treated me after I asked if he would ever tell me his real name? It was so rude! He actually snapped at me." My eyes widened as I stopped, putting my hand on the doorknob to the bar. "I wonder what had him so upset. He could've just said that it was a secret or something. He didn't have to get all angry at me."

Finn put his tiny finger on his chin as he followed me into the bar. It was full of boisterous people, all chattering and laughing together, drinking, dancing and having a good time. I wasn't a really party girl, but I liked to have a few drinks every now and then. Getting drunk had no appeal to me whatsoever, so I was usually very careful about what I drank and how much. I walked up the counter, manned by Chase, and plopped down on a barstool next to Luke. Kathy sauntered up, her skirt swishing as she sat down on my other side.

"So," the blonde drawled, twirling her ponytail around her fingers as she smirked mischievously. "Where were you just now, dressed like me?" She gestured to my short shorts and tank-top, then to her cut-off-shirt-mini-skirt-cowboy-boots-wearing self. "No, WAIT!" she cawed before I could answer. "Lemme guess." She leaned forward and waggled her eyebrows. "Wizard's, right?"

I groaned and threw my hands up in the air, glaring at my blonde friend. "How many times do I have to tell you, Kathy, that we're just friends? Probably not even that! I haven't even been here a season yet, and you think I'm head over heels for the wizard. Lemme set you straight." I leaned forward and poked her nose. "I. Do. Not. Like. Him. That. Way. Get that through your thick skull and go wait some tables." Kathy scowled at me as she got up and flicked my head. Then, she went over to Owen and Calvin's table, who already seemed to be a little tipsy. Even though it was only four thirty.

"It's five o' clock somewhere," I murmured to myself, and Chase snickered. "What'll it be?" he asked, taking out a pencil and pad from his front apron pocket. I sighed, not even bothering to look at the menu.

Suddenly, a rough voice slurred from next to me "I'll *hic* order fer da lil' lady." Chase whipped his head to the right and glared at the person next to me, who happened to be Luke. I slapped his arm, but he just laughed rather loudly. "Naw Molly," he said, but it sounded like mush. The empty cocktail glass in his hands was shoved forward and waved in my face. "Ya best lemme *hic* buy yoooooo sometin', udderwizzzze I won' beeee *hic* t-taken oooo ta da vireworkszzzzz festeeville tuh-mor!" Luke, obviously beyond drunk, started cracking up and banging his hands on the bar. I shot a panicked look at Chase, who glanced at me from the corner of his violet eye.

"U-uh, Luke," I stammered, way out of my element when dealing with a drunken carpenter. "I'm not going to the festival with anyone. You're drunk, okay? Don't buy _anyone_, especially yourself, anything else tonight, alright?" I was trying to be gentle with him, not wanting him to be all embarrassed in the morning (if he even remembered this). Finn came and peered over my shoulder at the blue haired man with a slightly disturbed expression. Luke was grinning stupidly and still waving his glass around dangerously.

"Luke," the peachy-haired bartender snapped. I glanced at Chase, thankful for the intervention. "Knock it off, or I'll kick you out." He continued to scowl as the other man hooted and hollered about buying me a drink, and I moaned and folded my arms on the counter, letting my head fall into them and hide my face from Luke. Chase sighed as he saw me, and I heard his footsteps come around the bar. I lifted my face when I heard a chair scrape, and gasped when I saw Chase grab the blue-haired man by his bandana and yank him off his seat. Chase knelt down to look him in the eye, being the freakishly tall man that he is, and sneered "Look, man. You need to stop with your antics, or I'll have Hayden throw you out. Are we clear?" Luke nodded. "Good. Now go sit somewhere else." With that, he shoved the carpenter away, who stumbled off towards Owen and Calvin, who had calmed down a little at the hands of Kathy.

"Thanks," I breathed once he was safely settled a good distance away from me. "I don't normally go drinking and all, so that was...um...weird. I didn't want to embarrass him or something like that. He didn't know what he was saying."

Chase rolled his eyes, and he stalked back behind the counter. "Whatever," he said, and I smirked. That meant 'you're welcome' in oh-so-vagueness of Chase. "What're you having? I'm busy, so I can't wait around on you the entire night."

"Umm...I think I'll get a Grape Cocktail," I said, and Chase scribbled it down on his pad before wandering back into the kitchen. I glanced around to make sure no one was within earshot before gesturing Finn over so we could talk. "So?" I said. The Sprite stared at me blankly. I rolled my eyes good-naturedly and said "Why do you think Wizard was annoyed with me?"

"You're still on that?" he asked incredulously, and I nodded. The little guy giggled and said "Well, I don't really know. He's not the kinda guy that gets angry easily, I think, so..." he trailed off, looking deep in thought. Chase slid me my cocktail and I thanked him with a nod as I waited in silence for Finn to come up with something. Suddenly, the tiny Sprite snapped his fingers and proclaimed, "I got it!" He motioned for me to lean forward, as if he was going to tell me a secret. Like anybody could even hear him in the first place. "I think you mighta weirded him out when you went and touched his hair!"

I yanked back, my eyes widening. Oh, I'm so stupid. "Oh my gosh, Finn, you're so right!" I thought back to how he acted after I told him his eyes were pretty-which they were-and it suddenly made sense. "Yeah!" I said in a whisper. "That's when he started acting all funny! Oh my goodness, I cannot believe I did that. I touched his _hair!_" I felt my cheeks heat up from embarrassment. No wonder he was so awkward! I must've really creeped him out, touching his face and hair and telling him his eyes were pretty after only knowing him for a little over half a season. _Goodness, Molly!_ I thought to myself. _He probably thought it was a come-on or something! _It wasn't, though. It was simply just a statement of fact.

Finn walked across the counter and patted my hand when he saw my mortified face. "Aww, it's okay, Molly!" he chirped. "Just tell him next time you see him that you didn't mean to make him feel funny." I nodded and smiled at the little guy, thankful for his support.

Just then, the kitchen doors burst open, and the peachy-haired chef came out, running a hand through his hair and messing up his hairpins. I quirked an eyebrow at him as I sipped my drink, and he caught my look. "Busy night," he said simply, waving a hand at all the people inside. It really was packed in here; there was Owen, Luke, Calvin, Toby (who was being sensible), and Julius (maaaaybe not so sensible) all on one side of the bar, the fisherman trying to get Luke and Julius to calm down. Kathy was also over there, taking away Owen's drink. Calvin looked okay, though, just still a bit out of it. Selena was dancing up on the stage, and Luna was the only other girl here besides Kathy, the dancer, and me. She looked okay, though wickedly amused by Luke's drawling and railing.

I turned back to Chase, nodding. "Yup," I said, popping the 'p'. "Sure is. Are you on break or something?"

The man snorted and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. I let anyone else back there try and cook, and they'd bring this place to the ground." Either way, he came around to the other side of the bar and sat down a seat away from me and let out a low whistle. "I really need to get an apprentice or something, 'cause they're gonna run me into the ground one of these days." He cast an accusing look over at Hayden, who was suspiciously eyeing Owen as Kathy tried to take away his glass again as the blacksmith held it out of her reach. Chase followed my gaze and let out a low chuckle. "Those two..." he said in a whisper, leaning closer and jabbing his thumb towards the pair, "…are so sickeningly good for each other it makes me want to barf."

I covered my mouth to stifle a giggle as I leaned away from him. "So true," I agreed, stealing another glance at them. "They'll be married by next Spring."

Chase snickered again and stood, brushing his hands on his apron. "The kitchen awaits me," he said glumly. "I love to cook, but sometimes it just gets..."

"Ridiculous?"

"Yeah, that." The handsome chef turned and, with a flick of his hand that I took to be a wave, sauntered back into the kitchen and out of sight. But a second later, he poked his head back out through the door, only one shoulder and hand visible. "Hey, uh, Molly?" he asked, eyeing me weirdly.

"Hmm?"

"You _are _going to the festival, right? It's sort of a tradition around here. It'll help you get to know some of the people better."

I thought about it for a minute, wondering if I could squeeze in the time. I had a lot of work I needed to get done; Bellie, my new little black calf, was still quite unaccustomed to her new home and was having trouble settling in. I needed to do some major weeding and fertilizing, plus the lawn needed to be mowed outside my house. I also really needed to clear out the stable for whenever I got a horse, and the chicken coop wasn't exactly in prime condition, either. I sighed in defeat and said "I don't think I can make it, Chase. I have _TONS _of work that I need to get done, and I really need to find the yellow bell." Yes, the townspeople knew of my quest to help the Harvest Goddess and her brother. So what? A couple extra pairs of eyes out wouldn't hurt anyone.

He looked a smidgen disappointed. I guess he was trying to brush me off on someone I would meet at the festival so I wouldn't pester him so much. "Alright then," he said indifferently. "Have fun." He retreated into the kitchen once more, leaving me to sip at my cocktail and wonder about the yellow bell.

"Argh," I groaned as I straightened up, bracing my hands on my back as I stretched. "Why does farming have to be so darn hard?" Finn flitted up from among my rows of ripe tomatoes, looking exhausted.

It was around 8:30 pm of Summer 17th, the day after my fiasco with Luke at the bar and my talk with Wizard. I was at my farm, as I had been all day, and only just now finished pruning and weeding and fertilizing my field. Bellie still needed some TLC, the coop and stable were still in bad condition, and I stank to high heaven. I was not in a good mood. I hadn't even gotten the harvesting done for today. I looked once again over my rows and rows of tomatoes, promising to get to them tomorrow.

"Maybe we should take a little break," Finn suggested, pointing to a winding path that lead to a little beach on my property. "The fireworks will be starting soon." I sighed but gave in, desperately needing some rest. I hurried inside and took a quick shower, throwing on an old pair of faded, ripped jeans and a white tank-top before sliding into my shoes and meandering down to the small coastline. Finn fluttered along happily by my shoulder, chattering to me about nothing in particular. That is, until I stubbed my toe really hard on a stray branch.

I flew forward, plowing face-first into the tannish sand, the little grains wedging themselves between my teeth. I sat up and growled, rubbing my big toe, which had turned a nice, bright cherry color. I turned to glare at the offending piece of wood, only to find that it actually wasn't wood at all. There, peeking out of the sand, was a small, almost unnoticeable sliver of bright yellow.

I turned to stare at Finn, wondering if we seriously happened to just quite literally stumble upon the next ancient bell that Wizard and I had been trying to find for forever. He was gaping at it too, his tiny eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. I lurched to my feet, scrambling over to what looked very much like the bell and frantically began to claw at the sand. When I finally managed to uncover enough of it to confirm that it was, in fact, what I had thought it was, I gave a good hard tug on it, then another and another until it popped free of the sand. I tripped again and fell backwards, the bell landing on my chest a bit painfully. Finn flew over, squealing "Oh my gosh, Molly! We found it, we found it!"

"I know!" I squealed back, holding it up and beaming at it. "Now we just need to find the pedestal to ring it, and then the soil will be perfect again!" My mouth watered as visions of plump apples and Shining Strawberries danced in my head.

Before I could get to my feet though, the air right next to Finn began to shimmer faintly. I watched, totally flabbergasted, as a small, almost see-through Sprite appeared in yellow clothes. He wasn't normal; he was too pale, and his wings weren't fluttering like Finn's and Alan's do. "Molly," the little Sprite rasped. "I...cannot ring the bell for you. I am...too weak." He fought to muster up a smirk. "But still tougher...than your little groupie."

"Hey!" Finn protested indignantly. I hushed him quickly and turned back to the fading pixie. "How can I help?" I asked, not wanting him to completely disappear.

"You...must..." he paused to cough. "Go...f-f-f-find..."

Then he disappeared.

I sat, staring at the place where the Sprite had been only a moment before, and felt a rush of defeat. He was gone; I couldn't ring the bell now. Now the earth wouldn't get its fertility back, and I wouldn't get my Shining Strawberries! I glanced down at the bell, my shoulders slumping as I desperately tried to think of a way around this. Finn came by and plunked down in the sand, taking fistfuls of it and letting the tiny particles fall between his equally tiny fingers.

I studied the ancient bell, noticing that along the rim of the bottom was a strange language, the runes twisting and curving in a way that seemed vaguely familiar. I sat up fully, leaning down close to get a better look. I studied the archaic markings, trying really hard to remember where I had seen them before. Then it hit me like a tidal wave.

I sprang up, lugging the bell with me and tearing down the beach, back up to my farm. Finn wailed behind me at my sudden escape and flitted to my side, asking again and again where we were going and what had me so wound up. I ignored him for the time being, giggling like crazy in my elation at a quick and easy solution.

We hurtled down the small path that led to Harmonica Town, the streets empty because everyone was at the beach. Everyone but one person, and that person happened to be the only person that would be able to read what was written on the bell. Hopefully, it'd explain what the yellow Sprite had been trying to say before he vanished.

I took the steps two at a time, my breathing labored as we climbed to the very top of the stacked-up houses. The bell was really heavy and was starting to feel like an anvil by the time I reached the top. Still, I flew towards Wizard's door, bursting through and yelling "WIZARD! WIZARD WIZARD WIZARD _WIZARD!"_

"Ack!" came the reply. I had come in so suddenly and yelled so loudly that I had startled the ashy-blonde magic man so badly. He fell off the couch that he had been lounging on, his novel plunking down next to him. He hopped up, rubbing the back of his head with his green eye closed and winced as he touched a sore spot. "Molly..." he said as I grinned up at him like an idiot, holding the bell behind my back. "What are...you..."

"Look what I found!" I thrust it forward, watching his one visible eye widen as he took in the ancient artifact. He gently took it from me, his eyes roving over every little detail, especially the scrawled runes on the bottom rim. "Well?" I chirped, watching as he glanced up and arched an eyebrow. "Can you read it or what?"

"Read...what?"

"The writing, silly! We went and found this on the beach, but a little Sprite appeared and said we needed to find something for him to ring the bell for us. But he faded away before he could tell us, and I found the words on it that I can't read, but you might be able to tell us what he meant-" I stopped to catch my breath, my chest heaving up and down from all the running and talking. Wizard stared at me for a moment quizzically before turning and placing the bell on the coffee table. He turned back to me, nodding and placing a finger on his chin.

"Yes...I can read...it," he said, walking over to a bookshelf and taking out a huge volume. Flipping to a page, he came back over and sat down, scanning the words in the dusty book quickly before glancing at the bell again. I went and sat by him, not too close because I didn't want to creep him out like I did yesterday, and stared at the bell. He finally closed the book gently and picked up the yellow object on the table once more, turning it over in his tanned hands. "It says..." he began "...that there...are three hidden...moonlight stones...around Castanet. The bell...is powerless...in its current state. To...recharge it...you must find...the hidden stones...and bathe the bell in...the moonlight. Only then...will you be able...to restore fertility to...the island."

I nodded and asked "Do you know where the spots are? There's a lot of writing on there; does it say?"

Wizard hesitated a bit before nodding. "It...says that one...spot is in...the Garmon Mine district, another...by a house of guidance, and the...last in a field of music."

"Okay!" I cheered, leaping to my feet and seizing his wrist without thinking. "Let's go find those spots!" I snagged the bell from the table, called to Finn and bolted out the door once again. Wizard stumbled along after me, not quite sure what to make of my sudden burst of energy. I skidded to a stop outside, glancing at the night sky; I had forgotten my watch at home when I took a shower. "Umm...I'm guessing it's around nine. What do you think?"

"I think...that I want...to go back inside."

I giggled and dragged him down the steps. "Nuh-uh, Wizard! I need your help; you're the only one smart enough to read what's on the bell and figure out where the spots are." We stopped in the outskirts of the town, and I dropped his wrist and turned to him. He looked annoyed and a bit shocked. "Now, where to first?" He glanced down at me from his really tall height. I couldn't help but notice that he was way taller than me, even though I was above average at 5' 7''.

"The Garmon...Mine district," he mumbled, glancing at the yellow bell again. "If you...insist on dragging...me along, we best...be moving. The stones...will disappear after...midnight." I nodded and took off again at a brisk jog, my stamina way up there from my years of working at a fitness club and farming here on Castanet. Wizard kept pace easily, his long legs taking huge strides. The summer night was muggy and hot, and soon we were panting.

We finally managed to reach the district and paused out in the street, glancing at our surroundings. "I don't see anything," I said, Finn coming to land on my shoulder. "Is there a certain order we have to go in or something?" Wizard shook his head and made his way towards Ramsey's empty shop, standing by a small ladder. He pointed to it, asking with his eyebrow if I'd ever seen or noticed this before. I smiled sheepishly and shook my head no, and he sighed.

He climbed up agilely and I followed, a lot less graceful, and heaved myself up over the top of the cliff edge. Wizard's back was to me and I skipped up to his side, wondering what he was staring at so intently. It turned out to be a large disk-like thing lying on the ground. It glowed faintly and was the same pale color of the moon. It was just as smooth, except for a large rune on the center, identical to one which was on the bell. Wizard nodded to himself as he stared at it and, glancing down at me, said "Place the bell...in the...center."

I obeyed, situating the musical instrument right smack dab in the middle of the moon disk. Almost as soon as my fingers lost contact with the rough and worn metal, it began to vibrate, hum and glow brightly, looking very foreign. I yelped and rushed back to Wizard's side; it looked like it was about to explode or something. He watched it with rapt interest, taking in every detail.

Abruptly, the eerie light faded and the disk disappeared, the bell completely normal. Wizard walked forward calmly and scooped it up. As soon as he touched it, the same shimmery light that I had seen once before when the yellow Sprite appeared came into existence, and with a poof, he once again materialized.

"Wow, Molly!" he said, not noticing the wizard. "That was pretty fast." His voice was still soft and raspy, but he wasn't gasping like before and he could speak much easier. Turning to Wizard, he said, "Thank you for helping Molly. It's a real piece of luck you could read the ancient language inscribed on the bell." Wizard only nodded at the praise and motioned for him to continue. The Sprite rolled his eyes. "Impatient one, you are. I'm Collin, by the way, and you will find the next two spots by the Lighthouse and in Flute Fields. Run along now!" Then he vanished. Again.

"All right then," I said to the wizard. "Let's go get this done!"

Hours later, at half past one, I trudged up to my farm and groggily shoved open the door with a huge yawn. We had barely managed to get to the last moon spot on time; Wizard had to take it and run because I wasn't fast enough. Incidentally, I also had to fork over ten of my best tomatoes to Ruth to convince her to open her field gate, where her "useless husband" had discovered the pedestal. I was grumpy about that, but the joy of bringing fertility back to the land sort of cancelled it out.

"So," I began, interrupted by another yawn. "Wizard, do you want some coffee or something? I know you stay up pretty late and stuff, and it's, like, the only thing I can make without completely butchering it." I was a horrible cook. Chase would be absolutely appalled.

I turned to face him, standing in my doorway. My eyes were half-closed from fatigue as I watched him. He seemed reluctant to answer, perhaps from taking from me, so I added "It's just a mug, Wizard. You don't even have to stick around." He finally relaxed and nodded slowly, and I dragged my feet to the kitchen. "You can come in, you know."

"I'll be...leaving shortly."

"Suit yourself."

I came back with his coffee and handed it to him. He took a huge gulp and sighed, and my eyes widened. "Wow, you really like coffee, huh?"

He chuckled quietly at my face and answered "Yes. It...is my favorite. Thank you...for offering me some." I smiled and nodded at him, trying to hold back another yawn. "Molly?" He said quietly. I looked up at him in confusion. "That was...fun. I have not...been outside...in a long time. Thank...you." He seemed a bit sheepish at the end, trailing a finger around the edge of his mug. I stared at him in disbelief. The wizard had...fun?

With me?

I beamed up at him, and he looked at his feet. "Anytime Wizard!" I stuck out my hand. "Friends, huh?"

He stared at it for a moment, looking as if he was deciding. Finally, after a period of long deliberation and making me feel more and more like an idiot, he finally reached out and tentatively took my hand and shook it gently. I grinned even wider.

"...Friends."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Wow, two of these. :O Anyway, I wanted to say that I do not like drunkenness. I contemplated taking it out but decided to leave it in for the sake of trying to keep the story as similar as possible. I'm just going to keep in mind that it is a sin to get drunk, and they are not perfect. Technically, they could be perfect since they're fictional characters but oh well. I'm leaving it be<strong>**. I hope you have a marvelous evening or whatever time of the day it may be when you are reading this. Oh, and I hope you liked it.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Hello again. :) Here's chapter 8. I dunno what else to say. Hope you enjoy! :3  
><strong>

**Chapter 8**

**Wizard's PoV**

The remaining days of summer slowly began to melt away, and the island gradually became livelier with every passing hour. The ringing of the yellow bell three weeks ago immediately improved the quality of life here, as I had suspected it would. Molly's produce sold for hundreds more and even Ruth and Craig began to cheer up. They still fought like the aging married couple they were, but the arguments were not nearly as loud as they had been, and the seeds they began to sell brought in more profit all around.

It was Thursday, fall 6th today and eight o' clock in the morning. I was busying myself for today's readings, a little slower and more sluggish than usual. Last night, Molly and I had stayed up far too late, even for me, and we both had only gotten a few hours of sleep because of it. I worried for the farm girl when she stumbled out of my home at around three in the morning, thinking she might trip and fall on her way down the stairs, but Finn had assured me he would look out for her. I don't know what he planned to do if such a situation presented itself, but he was a being of magic so I conceded to his wishes.

I yawned loudly as I shuffled about, clearing away space from the cluttered coffee table and gathering up the various tomes scattered about my living room. My braid was undone and my feet were bare, and I still had yet to have my coffee for today as I shoved them back in random places. I checked the clock on the wall, noting it said 8:30, and decided that it was clean enough and turned to head upstairs and try to make myself at least mildly presentable. I was already labeled as somewhat of a loon, and being cranky and unwashed would not help that image.

Before I could, however, the door behind me slowly creaked open, and I spun around to see who would possibly come before the designated time. My first suspicion was Maya, as she was often overly-zealous and would wait outside my door just to be sure she was the first in line, and my second was Molly, who showed up at the most unpredictable and often odd times that there were. I was surprised to see not the girls, but Finn, alone and looking nervous.

"Mr. Wizard," he said formally, eyes darting about the space. He yawned a little before saying, "Molly's still asleep. I did her chores for her this morning and didn't bother waking her. She's so tired. And I already visited Alan, Collin and the Goddess and decided you might need some company."

"No need for formalities, Finn," I said, smiling a little as I gestured for him to enter all the way. "You are welcome here anytime, Molly or not. She did get home alright, yes?"

I don't know what my face portrayed, and I'm not sure I wanted to know, because Finn's expression turned from one of nervousness, to slight confusion, then to smugness that he quickly tried to hide. "Yeah, she's fine. Just super tired and all." He flittered over to the table and reclined on it, peering up at me. "You look really sleepy too. When'd you go to bed?"

I shrugged and made my way towards the stairs. "I will warn you that I am going to be very busy today," I said, turning to look at him over my shoulder. "I do fortunes and heart readings on Thursdays. I cannot spend much time looking for the next bell with you. You are welcome to stay and observe if you like, but it might get rather boring." I continued up the steps as he said he didn't mind and wondered briefly if his reason for coming alone was really what he said it was. It wasn't like him to do something like this. He was always apprehensive when not glued to Molly's side. He and I, although both creatures of magic and both immortal, had never been very close or anything beyond friendly. I decided not to question it as I took a quick shower, drying my hair with a quick blast of magical heat and retying my braid. I changed quickly and headed back downstairs, searching for my crystal ball among the clutter I hadn't bothered to put away.

With growing panic as time passed and my search ended up being in vain, I realized it wasn't here. Finn watched curiously as I scrambled about my house, tossing what little mess I had bothered to clean up back out, frantically trying to find the ball. It had been a gift from Master when he began teaching me the art of fortunes, and it was extraordinarily rare and special. I often channeled my powers through it to strengthen them. I couldn't afford to lose it.

"Finn," I huffed as I rummaged quickly through some overhead cabinets. "Have you seen my ball?"

"Your what?"

"My crystal ball. I cannot find it anywhere!"

A sharp rap on the door made me groan in irritation, and I sprinted forward. "I'm...closed toda - oh. Hello...Molly."

I peered down at the sleepy-eyed farm girl, and she smiled widely before yawning. "Morning, Wizard! I thought I'd come by 'cause someone did my chores for me this morning, and both Maya and Kathy are sick with the flu. Whatchya up to?"

I beckoned her inside and quickly shut the door loudly, hoping anybody coming for reading would hear it and take the hint. Molly looked around and whistled lowly at the mess, saying "I don't remember it being this disorganized when I left this morning. What happened in here?"

"I cannot...find my crystal ball! Have...you seen it...by any chance?" Molly looked up at me, deliberating. After a few moments of silence except for the buzzing of Finn's wings, she shook her head no, and I groaned again. "I cannot afford...to lose it. Help me...look?" I didn't even wait for an answer as I dashed upstairs, rifling through yet more bookshelves and dumping out the contents of my dresser. The ball wasn't under my bed either. Downstairs, I could hear banging and chattering as Molly and Finn sorted through whatever they were looking at as they tried to help. By this point, I knew it wasn't here. The question was, though, _where?_

I trudged back down the steps, not bothering to run anymore, but my pace rather slow as I thought hard about what may have happened. The last time I had used it was last Thursday at the readings. Speaking of which, I think it might be worth mentioning that Molly's followers were slowly beginning to find other women to moon after. The farm girl had actually pointed out to Jin, the Asian black-haired doctor, that Anissa, daughter of Ruth and Craig, was rather fond of him. Likewise, Calvin and Phoebe had gotten to know each other. That still left Chase, Gill, Luke, Owen, Julius and Toby, and this irked me for reasons I could not identify. What was it about her that drew these people to her? I did not like it. At all. And that was strange...very strange. I didn't understand.

"Hey, Wizard!" Molly called, snapping me from my thoughts. I shook my head as if ridding myself of a bothersome fly when I realized just how off-track my thoughts had gotten. "We can't find it, either. Where was the last place you had it?"

"Right there." I pointed to the coffee table, which you couldn't even see anymore, the clutter was that thick. "I...had a reading last...Thursday, as usual. That...was the last time...I used it." She nodded, tapping her chin with her index finger as she thought. Finn likewise seemed immersed in thinking and helping, and it suddenly dawned on me that these two really were my friends. Truly. It was such a strange thing, having friends. I hadn't allowed myself enough human contact in centuries to build such relationships. It was satisfying, really. I hadn't realized it then, but I had been craving real contact, something or someone to rely on. I had found it in Molly, and a better person I couldn't name.

"Alright!" she declared brightly, startling me a little. "Since it's obviously not here, we need to look around town. Finn, you go to the bar, I'll head off to the inn and Wizard..." She trailed off, looking up at me a little sheepishly. I guess she was remembering all those weeks ago when she forcibly removed me from my house. "Do you wanna head down to Ramsey's? I think it's best if we all split up." Finn nodded, looking excited as he whizzed around in the air. I sighed, realizing that I did not have a choice in the matter, as long as Molly was involved...and in charge.

"I...suppose." I said glumly, stepping into my shoes. "Meet me back here...at nine tonight. If...you find it, come...tell me. I'll be...in the Mine district."

I got many stares as I walked back towards the town, empty-handed. I made a quick mental note to get out more often; something I suspected wouldn't be as hard as I thought it would be with Molly around. Apparently, this was only the second time some of them had seen me outside of my home. I didn't like them all gawking at me, and I tugged self-consciously on the collar of my shirt, as I trudged back to my house.

My search had been fruitless, as I thought it would be. I did not see any reason for someone to take it, especially from the Garmon Mine district. Most of the people there were tough, hardened men with no use of it whatsoever. Then again, I was the only one who had any way to use it in the first place. This whole situation was utterly baffling. I sighed.

I shoved my hands in the pocket of my cloak as I walked along, the chilly fall air and breeze ruffling my hair and sending shivers down my spine. I climbed the numerous staircases up to my house, finding the lights already on and the smell of coffee wafting from an open window. I smiled to myself as I put my hand on the doorknob. Ever since I had admitted to Molly that I had a soft spot for coffee, she had taken it upon herself to bring me some every time she came over, which was basically every day. I didn't mind either of these things. Molly was a pleasant companion most of the time, and my too-long nights gazing through my telescope demanded some form of caffeinated sustenance.

I pushed open the door to find Molly sprawled casually on my couch, as usual, reading aloud to Finn who was sitting on her knee. She looked up as I entered and smiled brightly before sitting upright. "Hey!" she called. "It's about time you got back. You didn't find anything, did you?" Her tone suggested that she knew I wouldn't. I raised an eyebrow and shook my head, taking the mug she offered me as I sat down beside her. "Mhm. That's 'cause I did!"

"What did you...find?" I asked around the edge of the cup. "I do not...see my ball with you."

Molly absentmindedly twirled her cowlick around her fingers, something I noticed she always did when she was confused. "Well, I went to the Ocarina Inn, like I said I would and started asking around. Chase directed me to Colleen, who said that Jake had been acting really weird lately." She leaned forward as if she was going to tell me a secret. "She said he's been answering questions that she has before she asks them and saying stuff that's exactly like what's on her mind. She was really freaked out about it. Chase offered to help out, but I told him no..." Her face reddened slightly. "I didn't think you'd want a whole bunch of people in on it and...yeah." She looked at her feet, but I was grateful for the consideration. She was right.

"Anyway," she continued when she collected her thoughts, "I went on a wild-goose-chase all over town looking for him, and it turns out that he _was_ acting pretty strange. He kept wringing his hands and cringing whenever I spoke, and then pretty much begged me not to come to the inn tonight after ten." She smirked. "I'm pretty sure I know where your ball is, Wizard."

I nodded and glanced at the wall-clock. It was almost eleven now, so I stood and beckoned her over to the door, handing her jacket to her. "Let's...get going, then. I...need to be there...when we get it...back. He may not...surrender it easily, and I...may have to take it by force." Molly nodded, although her eyes seemed a bit fearful, and followed me back out into the breezy fall night. It was pitch black outside, and the wet leaves on the stairs made it especially difficult to descend. I kept glancing out of the corner of my eye at my companion, knowing she was so klutzy at times it was almost a handicap and tried not to let myself worry too much. I was turning into a sissy.

We walked in silence over to the inn and cautiously nudged open the door, stepping inside. The lobby was empty, all the lights off and the chairs up on the tables. I glanced around and listened hard. Somewhere to our right, I could hear mumbling. Along with it, I sensed a pulse of magic that could only come from my crystal ball. But...it was off. And I knew immediately what had happened.

I hurried forward, rounding a corner and coming to a wooden door, soft light spilling out from underneath and around the edges. Molly followed close behind me as I pushed open the door, momentarily seeing spots as I was met with the glare of a bedside table lamp.

Standing in the middle of the room was Jake, hunched over a sphere. In the heart of it swirled ominous purple and black clouds, the crystal's powers taking hold of the mortal's mind. I knew that this was the case as soon as I walked in. The innkeeper's mind was not strong enough, and his magical abilities were nonexistent. He could not handle the ball and its power, and it took over his body as a result. Lovely.

Jake whirled to face us as soon as we were inside, and Molly squeaked behind me as she caught a glimpse at his face. It was curiously dead, blank, and his eyes glowed white and dangerous. I stepped forward, but he snarled "You...you dare come to take it away from me? It's MINE!" He snatched my ball up from his bed and clutched it to his chest. "I can see your mind, Wizard. You mean to steal it from me. No! No, you can't have it!"

"Enough, Jake," Molly said boldly, but I could hear her voice shaking slightly. "You can't handle the powers of Wizard's ball. Please just - ."

Her sentence was cut off abruptly as the innkeeper roared in crazed fury. In a movement so fast it was almost impossible, he snatched Molly by her arm and roughly threw her to the ground behind him. I heard a sickening crack as the back of her head banged against the corner of the bedside table, and my heart lurched with fear and protectiveness as Molly cried out from the pain. Her eyes rolled dangerously as she crumpled to the floor, and I watched in horror as Jake went to stand over her. His eyes darkened, turning almost black, and I knew I had to do something before the ball's powers completely took over his mind. He kneeled down, hand reaching for her hair to yank her up again, and that's when I acted.

I lunged for the ball, simultaneously holding out my hand straight in front of me. With a shout, a burst of blinding white light and magic shot from my palm and hit Jake square in the back, right between the shoulder blades. He stood straight up as the magic jolted through him, stunning him to complete immobility. He toppled backwards onto the bed, and his black eyes darted around the room in fear at what had happened. I hurriedly picked up the powerful ball and severed its connection to Jake by murmuring a powerful spell into its depths. The ball's color returned to the normal oceanic blue, and Jake's eyes returned to their normal color. They rolled back into his head as he fell unconscious, and I quickly wiped his memory with another spell and hurried to Molly. She was still slumped against the table, and her eyes wheeled in their sockets as she moaned and gasped for breath.

I don't know what happened to me just then, but as I looked at her face and realized that she was seriously hurt beyond what I had previously thought, something changed in me. I don't know what it was, but...it was almost like a wrinkle had shifted. I couldn't pause to think about what it was, however, as I knelt by her side and gently took her head between my hands. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, and I quickly hushed her as another cry broke free. She refused to shed tears, though, and I pulled her closer to get a better look at her injury.

I felt along the back of her skull, and gasped when I felt just above the nape of her neck, out of sight by her hair. I pulled my hand away, and it came back bloody.

I continued, trying to find any other injuries before I set about healing her. I didn't want to miss anything at all. This would tax her body to the limit, being under the magic I was about to use on her. But so be it.

I found a large bump on the back of her head from when it hit the floor too hard. Molly's groans had quieted to gasps and whimpers, and I felt the horrible guilt wash over me. It was all my fault. I'd asked her to help, knowing it could be dangerous, and she had gotten hurt. This was all because of me. I was to blame for her pain, for her injuries, for the impact this would have on her work.

I choked out the healing charm, my palm glowing blue as I pressed it against her wounds. The knot disappeared under my fingertips, sinking back into her skin, and I parted her hair. I kept my hand hovering over the jagged gash from the corner of the table. The skin knit back together, the sinews and vessels underneath weaving back as one as I healed my helper with magic. When it was done, only a puckered pink scar remained. A scar caused by me.

I rolled Molly back over, and her breathing deepened and her eyes fluttered open slightly. She gazed up at me, not saying a word as she sighed in contentment, the pain gone. I brushed her hair away from her face as she closed her eyes and sighed, the magic taking its toll. Humans were not meant to be under as much enchantment as she was, so she'd probably be out for a few days. I sighed and placed her gently back onto the floor, needing to situate Jake comfortably and normally before we took our leave. I made sure my crystal ball was tucked safely away in my cloak before scooping up the sleeping Molly and walking back outside.

Hopefully I wouldn't get in too much trouble from Finn for this.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed! Review if you want to. :)<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Yay, another chapter! :) Hope you enjoy it! :3  
><strong>

**Chapter** **9**

**Wizard's PoV**

It was almost two a.m. by the time I managed to climb the last set of steps up to my house, Molly still unconscious and sleeping against my chest. I had no idea how long she would need to sleep in order for the magical effects to wear off, but while she was out, she would be staying with me. This way, I could take care of her while she slept and make sure some strange side-effect did not make itself known. I was already extraordinarily disappointed and infuriated with myself for letting this happen in the first place. I'd never forgive myself if something even worse happened to her.

I pushed open the door gently and nudged the light switch with one of my elbows as I stepped inside. Finn was sleeping on the arm of a couch, snoring lightly and the little ball on the end of his hat quivering. I tip-toed around him, and Molly stirred and sighed. I didn't want to face the tiny Sprite just yet. He'd most certainly give me a thorough tongue-lashing for letting his ward be injured. Not that I didn't agree with him.

I trudged up the dimly-lit stairs and into my bedroom, kicking aside some papers still scattered about from earlier today. I placed Molly on my narrow bed gently, covering her with the navy cotton blanket after taking off her shoes and socks. Her eyelids fluttered, as if she was about to wake, but I knew better. She wouldn't open her eyes for at least a few days, of that I was certain. I tucked a fly-away strand of auburn hair behind her ear and stepped back, dragging a weary hand down my face.

How could I have let this happen? What had I been thinking? Why oh why had I dragged her into this? It wasn't her responsibility to help me find the crystal ball, yet I asked her to anyway. And look what had happened; she had cracked her head open, gotten a concussion and forced my hand to heal her. And now she was knocked out for who knows how many days. All because of me. It was my fault...totally and completely my fault.

I groaned and shuffled downstairs, shrugging out of my cloak and tossing it over the stair rail. I slouched down onto the couch with Finn, my head against the opposite arm. I quickly untied the braid near my face and kicked off my shoes. I was exhausted and desperately needed sleep, but when I closed my eyes, memories of Molly's blood on my hands, the gut-wrenching sound of her head being sliced open, the way she couldn't seem to control where her eyes moved...they haunted me, knowing it was all a result of my actions.

_Gale, you idiot. _I thought to myself. _You stupid, blundering idiot._

I tossed and turned on the couch as I tried to get to sleep, and Finn's snores stuttered and stopped before resuming again. I envied the tiny pixie; he was still blissfully unaware of what had happened to his best friend, and whose fault it was. I sighed again and tried once more in vain to go to sleep. It wasn't working, so I just did what I had to do: actually put myself to sleep using magic. It's not an easy thing to do, mind you, but it had to be done.

The spell swirled throughout my veins, bringing a pleasantly warm and tingly feeling with it. Lethargy washed over me, and my eyes drooped shut. The last thought I had was hopefully my dreams wouldn't be riddled with the 'what-ifs' of Molly's predicament.

_The room was dark and musty, smelling of mildew and hopelessness. The walls were bare, a dark-grey cement and towered high overhead. It was small, and somewhere nearby a tiny flicker of light illuminated the very center. There was no furniture, nothing to indicate anybody had been here in a while. I turned in a circle, taking it all in and wondering what was about to happen and why I was here._

_A figure suddenly detached itself from the blank walls and stepped forward into the center of the room, illuminated by the overhead light. My eyes widened in surprise, and I took a step back. It was Master._

_He looked exactly the same as I remembered him. His tall, lean figure stood straight, strong and sure. His hair and skin resembled mine, but his eyes were still the startling shade of scarlet as they had always been. His mark of power was visible but majorly different than mine. It branched and swirled around the whole left side of his face, the white ink standing out sharply against his coffee-colored skin. His ashy-blonde, almost-silver hair was held back out of his face by a thin leather strip around his forehead, and he still had his youthful appearance. He smiled kindly at me. "Gale," he said, and I continued to stare. "It has been too long."_

_"...Master?" My question came out as a whisper, and the wizard across from me chuckled. "What...I-I mean...how? You...you died. I watched them burn you!"_

_It was true. The horrible screams and sight of the flames still haunted me to this day. Vivi and I had been lucky to escape. I still had nightmares from it. Back then, if you were identified as a witch or wizard, you were arrested for illegal use of magic and burned at the stake for witchcraft or wizardry. Even now I still had no idea how Master had been found out. They were barbaric times, then._

_Master's face turned stoic and blank, as if he was hiding something. It had always irritated me when he did that. "Yes," he agreed, and I approached. "But this is a dream, Apprentice. I am not real."_

_I visibly deflated, feeling stupid. Of course he wasn't real, and of course this was a dream. The endless walls around me proved that much. But why had I suddenly up and brought him into my dreams? What was happening to me?_

_Master chuckled again and smiled softly. "You were always so impassive, Gale. Impassive but talented." He paused and examined me, but not on the outside. I had the disturbing feeling that he was peering straight through me into my heart, seeing my deepest and most hidden desires. "I wish you would change that. It's not good for you."_

_"What do you mean by that?"_

_The wizard sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. The light above him flickered and buzzed. "You cared for me, yes?" I nodded. "You still feel guilt over my death?" Another nod. "What have you done with yourself since then, Gale? You were always so pleasant, albeit listless. My death was something you could not prevent, nor should have tried. Closing yourself off from contact was not what you should have done." He suddenly spun in a circle, arms spread. "Where are we, Gale? Do you know?"_

_"I have not the slightest idea," I answered, glancing around. The walls were still plain and boring as ever, the cement thick and strong. The only light in the room still glowed over Master. "It is nothing but a dream, remember?"_

_"That may be," Master said carefully, "but that does not mean that it means nothing. This room..." He paused again and stared intently at me with his unsettling blood-red eyes. "It's your heart, Gale. It represents you."_

_My mouth fell slack, and my bi-colored eyes widened. This barren, depressing and constricting room was _me? _My heart? How?_

_I knew the answer, and Master did too. He smiled sadly at me when I didn't say anything, too at loss for words. "Yes. Sad, isn't it? This light here -" He pointed above him. "- Is me, even though I'm gone. You blocked everybody out after my death, didn't allow anyone access to your heart. The rest of you is empty, Apprentice. Too empty for anybody to live with. Being here, even though I'm nothing but a figment of your imagination, pains me. My light illuminates the center of you, your magic and the only pleasant memories you seem to have." His smile grew wider and began to touch his eyes. "But that's changing."_

_I sucked in a sharp breath, once again blown away. That wasn't true; it couldn't be true. I wouldn't allow anybody access. I didn't need it...or want it._

_"Oh, stop it," Master snapped, and I winced. "You do want it, and you have it, too." I wasn't surprised he heard my thoughts. He had always taken advantage of his mind-reading abilities. "That Molly girl. You've grown to enjoy her company." He pointed to a small hole near the base of a wall to his left, something I hadn't even noticed until he pointed it out. I nodded, and he said, "That's her."_

_I couldn't take much more of this. He was dumping too many revelations on me for me to handle. I shook my head. "No, no. Molly's helping the Goddess. We...yes, we are friends, but it is necessary. We cannot work together if we do not get along." I suddenly remembered the feeling I had in Jake's room. The feeling that reminded me of a wrinkle shifting. What had that been? Was that Molly's little mouse-hole? _

_I started to ask these questions of my teacher, but he held up a hand to stop me. "I cannot and will not answer you. That is something you need to figure out for yourself."_

_And then he vanished._

I shot up from my position on the couch, gasping and drenched in a cold sweat, as if I'd just had a horrible nightmare. My feet were freezing from the lack of heat in the house, and it smelled vaguely of outside. I quickly stood up, disoriented from my dream, and stumbled to an open window by the observatory sector of my house. Outside, the sun was just beginning to rise, peeking over the distant trees and Molly's little farmhouse roof in the distance.

I hurriedly slammed the window closed and went back to the sofa, collapsing on it and trying to control my racing heart and breathing. I could not shake the dream.

What had Master meant, "But that's changing?" I knew I enjoyed Molly's company; who wouldn't? You'd be very hard pressed to find a more likeable person. But the way my former teacher had said it, the way his eyes glinted with mischief implied something else. The question was _what? _What on earth could he have possibly meant? And the little hole near the base of one of my walls...Molly had broken through? What did that mean? Could it get bigger? Would I allow it to get bigger?

Of course I would. I owed her for the safe return of my crystal ball, even though she was the one who had to pay the price. But the fact that she had even burrowed through the cement in the first place was a bit unsettling. How had she managed to worm her way in without my knowledge? I sighed and stared at my toes, craving coffee, as usual. And why was I so willing to let her hole get bigger? All perplexing questions; ones that I had no answers for.

Finn was still asleep as I stood once again, heading upstairs to start the coffee while I took a shower. Yes, my kitchen was upstairs, and don't ask me why; that's the way the house was when I moved in centuries ago. I peeked inside my bedroom, checking on Molly to make sure that nothing strange had happened to her before making myself breakfast. I contemplated the problem of Molly's farm; who was going to watch it while she was unable to? I certainly couldn't. I was far too busy with my bell research and keeping an eye on her to do any farm work.

Then I remembered there was a large bulletin board outside town hall where islanders would occasionally post wants and needs for specific items*. All I had to do was ask someone to watch her farm for a few days via the board and we'd be all set. I grinned at the coffee maker and went to retrieve a pen and paper. I had broken my last quill last week and hadn't had the time to order more, so now I was stuck with pencils and the like. I liked my quills better.

After a quick shower and change of clothes, I trudged back downstairs to find the dreaded Sprite awake and buzzing around, scanning the paper lying on the floor. He looked up as I entered and smiled brightly, and I cringed. "Good morning, Wizard!" He chirped, ever cheerful. "It's a braaaaaaaand new day today~!" He glanced around, searching for something...or someone. "Where's Molly at? Did she go home?"

Yup, someone. I turned my back and nervously began scribbling my request on the paper. "Well, Finn...um...Molly is here. Upstairs. Sleeping." I didn't continue, hoping he wouldn't pry and go flutter off and do whatever it is Finns do. I cursed my bad luck as he said, "Oh, okay! I'll go wake her up then. The farm needs our attention!"

He started to leave, and I slumped guiltily in my chair. "She's not going to wake up for you. She's...not dead, at least, but..." Finn halted where he was and whipped around to face me, eyes wide.

"Then what's the matter? Why won't she wake up?"

I told him. I told him everything; how we went to the inn, found Jake with my ball, how it had taken over his mind and how he had injured Molly. I told him that she would be okay, but wouldn't wake up for a few days as she slept off the enchantments I had had to use on her. His little eyes got bigger and bigger as I continued, and when I was done, I was surprised they hadn't fallen out of his head yet. I stared at the scrawled letters on my paper, trying to focus on them but finding it impossible, the guilt was that bad...yeesh, when did I become such a...such a..._wuss_? I didn't normally feel such strong emotions, especially guilt.

Finn was silent for a long while as I finished writing my notice. I almost winced when he said, "You _sure _she's going to be okay?"

I nodded. "Certainly. She only needs to sleep off the magical effects."

The little Harvest Sprite beamed up at me as I stood and grabbed the paper, walking over to my shoes and stepping into them before donning my cloak. "Alrighty!" He chirped. "As long as she's fine, no worries." He fluttered closer and peered at the piece of paper in my hands. "What's that?"

"A request for temporary help on Molly's - Wait. Did you say that you are not upset? You are not angry at me?" I stared at him, my jaw a little slack. Finn looked utterly confused as he met my gaze, and he put a tiny finger on his chin as his brow furrowed.

"Uh, no. What's there to be angry about? You saved her!"

I shook my head; he didn't understand. He didn't understand that it was my fault she was hurt. If I had only told her to stay back and wait for me, she never would have been hurt in the first place. Perhaps I hadn't been the one to inflict her injuries upon her, but just the fact that I had allowed her to accompany me into a situation I knew was dangerous placed all the blame on me. Jake had not been in his right mind, but I had. I told these things to Finn as I made for the door, head hanging in shame. I looked up when he sat down on my shoulder and patted it in comfort. He smiled kindly at me.

"Gale**, it's not your fault, okay? I'm absolutely positively sure that Molly would have followed you even if you told her to stay here with me and wait. There's nobody to blame here, except Jake. He shouldn't have taken your ball to begin with. You saved her, Gale! Think about it; if she had been alone when she found Jake with your crystal ball, if she had been the only one there, where do you think she would be now? You kept her from being much worse off. Don't be so hard on yourself. Besides," he paused to wink at me, "I'm positive Molly won't be angry at you whenever she wakes up. I don't even think it's possible for her to be mad at you at all!" His comment made my face heat up, and he chuckled as he flew towards the stairs leading up to Molly. "Go on and post your notice. I'll hold down the fort here and come get you if she wakes up or starts acting funny." With that, he flew up the stairs.

Shaking my head and smiling, I opened the door and made my way down the stairs stacking up Harmonica Town and over to Town Hall. Not very many people were up, thank goodness, but two figures were already staring at the large wooden board located outside the building. I instantly recognized them: Julius by his purple hair and flamboyant clothing, and Toby by his blue-or-silver (I couldn't decide which) hair and distinct smell of fish. They turned as I approached and gave me confused smiles.

"Good morning, Wizard!" Julius enthused as I tacked up the request. I glanced at him from the corner of my eye and raised one eyebrow. "What brings you out here so early?"

Toby was already reading the paper, and his slanted green eyes began to widen, ever so slightly. He let out a low whistle and asked, "Geez, what happened to Molly? Sick?"

"...Yes..." I lied. "She...asked me...to put this...up...so someone...would watch her farm...for a few days."

Julius snatched the paper off the board, and I sighed in exasperation. "Molly needs help?" He asked shrilly, and I wondered, not for the first time, if he was even male at all. He waved the paper in the air and announced, "I shall help her! This will definitely get her to accept my invitation to the Moon Viewing festival next week."

Toby and I whirled to face him, and our expressions seemed to fall to the same one at the same time...strange. I felt that unfamiliar anger well up again at the ambiguous man's words, and Toby hissed, "What if _I _wanted to help her, and _I _wanted to ask her? Give me that!" He made to grab the already-wrinkled piece of paper from Julius, who danced out of the way. That stupid feeling in my gut doubled in intensity, and my eyes narrowed at the two men bickering in front of me.

"Nah ah ah!" Julius said in a sing-song voice. "This is mine now, Fishy-Boy. Go run along and play with Paolo while _I _go do a real man's work." Ah, so he was a man.

"NO!" Toby growled, lunging for the paper again. "I'm going to ask her, Freak!" Julius gasped and stamped his foot, halting the game of Cat-and-Mouse.

"I am not a Freak! This outfit is highly fashionable!"

"Yeah, says the guy with purple hair and a _SKIRT!"_

This had gone far enough. "Stop!" I said, louder than usual. The two boys halted and stared, wide-eyed. Stalking over to them, I snatched away the paper and pointed to the two of them individually. "You will..._both..._do the work...on Molly's property. Neither...of you...will ask...her to the...festival."

"And why not?" they snapped in synchronization.

"Because..." I said. "I...am...taking her...to the...festival."

...Where did _that _come from?

Toby and Julius stared at me in absolute bafflement. Before I could come back to my right mind and recant what I said, I turned on my heel and strode away, crumpling the request in my clenched fist in anger. The feeling in my stomach had intensified to the point of almost fury at the two as I hiked up the steps, opened my front door, stepped inside and slammed it with more force than necessary. I stalked toward my couch and sat down heavily, crossing my arms over my chest and trying to quell the strange feeling in my gut.

When I finally managed, the weight of what I just did came crashing down on me. I...I just told Julius, the biggest gossip in town, that I had asked Molly to the Moon Viewing festival on the fourteenth of fall. A romantic type thing. As a _date._ I groaned and tugged on my braid, annoyed at myself. I almost never acted as rash as I just did. I cursed the unpleasant anger that always seemed to rear its ugly head when Molly and the island boys were involved; this was its entire fault...whatever 'it' was.

* * *

><p><strong>HorseGirl784's author's note:<br>**

***little ToTT moment there. You have to check the request board often in the game to go on errands and such for the townspeople. It can really be a pain in the butt sometimes. I can never seem to complete Cam's requests :/**

****Yes, Finn knows his real name. In this story, all immortals (Sprites included) know each others' true names.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Well hello there. :) Here is chapter 10. Lots of stuff happens in this chapter. I hope you enjoy it! :3  
><strong>

**Chapter 10**

**Molly's PoV**

I was warm and cozy when I finally returned to my senses, although my brain still seemed to be floating around somewhere otherworldly. My muscles were stiff and sore, and I got the impression I had been asleep for a long time. The back of my head was pounding painfully and making it hard to focus on opening my eyes, but I still sighed happily and rolled over, pulling the soft blanket up to my chin. I opened my eyes slowly and stared at the ceiling, not recognizing it. It was grey and covered in varying shades of yellowed paper, and they all showed the same thing: sketches upon sketches of constellations and phases of the moon. I did _not _have such things tacked to _my _ceiling.

I shot bolt upright, groping the unfamiliar navy duvet and frantically tried to remember what happened before my world went black. I already knew where I was: Wizard's, duh. Who else can draw the night sky so accurately? But why and how did I get here, and where were the magic man and my Sprite? What day was it? How was my farm? How were Bellie and my three new little chicks, Peep, Cheep and Meep? What about Tilly, my new lamb, or -

The bedroom door creaked open and Wizard poked his head in. His one visible eye widened at the sight of me sitting awake and alert, but the rest of his face remained just as infuriatingly stoic as ever. "You're...awake," he said, coming into the room all the way and closing the door behind him. "That took much...longer than I...thought it would. How...are you feeling?"

I totally ignored his questions and demanded, "What happened to me? Why am I in _your bed?_ What happened to my farm? Where's Finn? How -"

Wizard held up one palm, and I shut up. His wintergreen eye twinkled for a moment with mirth before the laughter disappeared. I missed it immediately. He pulled up a creaky wooden chair next to the bed and sat down beside me, pressing his palms together. "I...brought you here to...recover. Do you...remember going to the...inn with me...to get my crystal ball from Jake?" I nodded. "Alright...If you really don't remember...what happened afterward...he injured you rather badly...and I had to heal your...wounds. You have a...nasty scar now on...your neck, but you...seem to have recovered from...the concussion." My eyes widened and I opened my mouth to interrupt, but Wizard shot me an impressive glare, and I closed it again, properly abashed. "That was...six days ago. It's now...fall thirteenth." I wanted to interrupt again, but Wizard plowed on before I got the chance. "Julius...and Toby are watching your...farm. From...what I've heard, they've done...a mediocre job."

I whistled lowly and sat back, folding my arms. Six days, huh? I was knocked out for almost a week. I shook my head and smiled; at least my farm was in somewhat-capable hands. But then I thought of something; why was I in his house?

"Why am I in your house? Your bed, for that matter?" I asked, voicing my thoughts.

Wizard scoffed at my question, and I raised an eyebrow at his attitude. "What...was I supposed to do? It...would not be right...for me to have...you sleeping on my...couch. And you are _here _because...I could take proper care...of you. I did not...want to have to...hike all the way up to...your farm every day to make...sure you were in stable condition." He stopped and inspected me, taking in my extremely ruffled hair (which was in dire need of a good washing), wrinkly clothes and probably the worst case of morning breath in the history of the world.

Ignoring his staring, something about his statement struck me as just the sweetest thing ever. He didn't dump me on his couch, but let me steal his bed for almost a whole week straight, AND he let me actually stay in his house. What's there not to be called sweet? Who knew the Wizard, Mr. I'm-so-silent-and-moody-leave-me-alone-humans, the magic man, the guy who seriously needed to learn how to talk normally, had it in him to be so considerate and gentlemanly? It made me want to give him a big hug.

"Awwww, Wizarrrrrrrd~," I cooed, swinging my legs over the side of the bed and sitting to look him straight in the face. His green eye widened. "That's sooo sweet of you! You coulda put me on the couch; I wouldn't have cared." I smiled widely and sat cross-legged on the bed. "I didn't know you could be sucha gentlemen. Thank you!" It was then I noticed Wizard's cheeks were slowly starting to get darker. His eye was wide and his mouth was firmly closed.

Whoa. Did...Did I just make him _blush_? _Wizard _was _blushing_?

The more I stared at his face, the darker it got. He started fidgeting in his chair and clearing his throat and looking around the room, anywhere but at me. I watched in fascination. I had flustered the Wizard! I felt accomplished.

We sat in awkward silence for quite a while before I decided I had overstayed my welcome. "Well," I said as I stood. My knees shook a little, but otherwise I could walk okay. "I guess I'll go and relieve Toby and Julius from watching the farm. Where's Finn at?"

Wizard took a moment to gather his thoughts, judging by the way his face looked. "He...left a few hours ago...to visit Ce - the goddess." I nodded and turned towards the door and started to hobble towards it. But Wizard called me back. "Er...Molly..." he trailed off when I looked his direction and smiled. He shuffled his feet and stared at his black socks.

"Hmmm?"

"I...I mean, Julius and...Toby might...Well, they perhaps...may say...Er, you know what? Never...mind. Just...disregard whatever they might...say about me and...the Moon Viewing festival."

I stared at him quizzically. Right now was one of those extraordinarily rare, almost-nonexistent moments when his face was about as easy to read as an open book. He tugged on his braid nervously under my scrutiny, and I waited for him to say what was really on his mind. Obviously, he wasn't telling me something that Julius would have no trouble declaring from the rooftops. And despite what Wizard said, it was all true.

When he didn't say anything further, my annoyance sparked and my stare turned to a glare (ha, that rhymed!). I got up and stalked over to him, placing my hands on my hips threateningly. "Just spit it out," I demanded. He flinched. "It can't be that bad." It was Wizard's turn to glare, and something made me think that in his mind, this was about as horrible as going out with me. In case you haven't noticed, Wizard could only take so much of my chatter; going on a date with me had to be higher up on his blacklist than burning coffee on purpose.

Wizard was still keeping it a secret. So, as motivation, I stepped out of his bedroom and walked down a narrow hallway towards his kitchen, which was weirdly upstairs. I stomped through the narrow archway, hands clenched at my sides, with the magic man following close behind. "What...are you doing?" he demanded when I opened one of his cabinets. Before he could snap his fingers and stop me, I lunged for as many bags of coffee beans as I could carry and sprinted for a nearby window. By the time poor Wizard realized what was going on, I had the window open and rich-smelling bags dangling precariously out over the ocean. He could probably stop me if he wanted to, but I was banking on his desperation to save his precious coffee marring his judgment a little.

He froze, did a double-take (which moved his hair around so both his gorgeous eyes were visible), and glared so scarily at me I almost dropped them out the window out of sheer fright. I managed to keep a hold of my anger, though, and met his glare with one of my own. It was silent for a long time as we stared each other down. Finally, he spoke. "You wouldn't...dare."

That statement would be much more threatening if he could speak without pausing, but his furious eyes made up for it.

"Try me," I shot back. I narrowed my titian eyes at him. "All you gotta do is tell me what Julius is 'lying' about. Then your beloved coffee will go unharmed."

Wizard smirked, and before I could react, all the coffee beans vanished, leaving little clouds of white smoke in their wake. I stared at my empty hands for a moment in disbelief before turning to his smug face. He crossed his arms over his chest and smirked wider. "Do not...touch my coffee."

"You _JERK!_" I shrieked, and lunged for his cloak to try and tackle him to the ground. I know it was stupid to get so worked up over something so small, but I had always had a short fuse that tended to rear its ugly head at the most unpredictable times. Wizard danced out of the way and chuckled as I whirled to face him. He retreated out of the room slowly, still sporting that stupid smirk.

"Call it...what you will, but...I was merely protecting...my possessions."

I jumped at him again, but he nimbly side-stepped me and turned, sprinting back down the hallway. Still screeching wordlessly, I dashed after him, intent on pinning him down and beating it out of him. He was fast, though, much faster than me with those freakishly long legs of his and was already half-way down the stairs by the time I reached the top. "GET BACK HERE!" I yelled, and he laughed. Actually laughed. I didn't pause to wonder about it, though, 'cause I was still too mad at him. "WHAT DOES JULIUS KNOW THAT I DON'T? !" (**A/N - there has to be a space for both the ! and ? to show up. FF doesn't like them both together for some reason.**)

My shouted question made Wizard pause for just a fraction of a second. Still, it was enough. With a triumphant yell and smirk, I tackled him to the ground. He landed with a deep "Oof!", and I scrambled up, sat on his stomach, and pinned his arms above his head so quickly you would have missed it if you blinked. "HA!" I shouted, and Wizard glared at me from his position on the floor. "Not so tough now, are ya?"

"Get...off, Molly."

"Not until you -" I was cut off when Wizard's front door suddenly blew open, and Julius himself flounced in, still as gay-looking as ever. I froze, Wizard froze, and Julius froze when he saw us on the floor. I blushed to the roots of my hair, and Wizard's face was suddenly three shades darker than usual.

Julius broke into an eye-crinkling grin when the silence stretched on and on. "Well, well," he purred, smirking as he planted his hands on his hips. He walked over and leaned down over us. "I came to see if there were going to be any readings today, but it seems I've stumbled upon something _much _more interesting." He grinned roguishly and addressed Wizard. "I must say, I thought you were bluffing last week. It pains me to see I've been proved wrong." Wizard's face got impossibly darker, and his mouth opened and closed repeatedly, as he was unable to come up with any rebuttal. I glanced back and forth between the two men. What happened last week that I was unaware of?

Wizard was glaring so hard at Julius that it made our little spat over the coffee seem like nothing. The fashionista backed up a few steps and twittered nervously. "What's going on here?" I questioned, eyeing the purple-haired man. I wouldn't have to pry to get it out of him. "Why would you think Wizard was bluffing? And why are you 'pained' that he proved you wrong?"

Julius rolled his unsettling red eyes and inspected his manicured fingers. "Dearie, last week, Wizard there decided to break the news to us that you had accepted his invitation to go to the Moon Viewing festival tomorrow." My eyes widened as they flickered to Wizard's face. He could _not _have just said what I think he did. I opened my mouth to correct him, sure there had to be some mistake, but there was suddenly another hand clamped over my mouth. I glared at Wizard, who had managed to work his arm free when I was distracted. I realized we hadn't stood up yet.

"That's...enough, Julius," Wizard warned from the floor, and the man skittered back a few more steps at the look the magician was giving him. "There...are no...readings today. Goodbye." I scowled at him even harder at his rudeness, but the coffee-skinned man wasn't paying any attention. Julius huffed and stuck his nose in the air, not moving. I fought the urge to bite Wizard's hand to ask the question that was on the tip of my tongue: _What was going on? _Why on earth had Wizard faked asking me out to a romantic festival, of all things, and why was Julius 'pained' over it? I glared at both men, way beyond frustrated with the two.

Julius still hadn't left. "I wanted to ask her," he huffed, and everything clicked right there. "It's not fair that I never even got the chance. What if Molly's changed her mind?" He turned to me and flipped his long hair over his shoulder. "What do you say, Darling? Would you like to accompany me to the Moon Viewing festival?"

Hoo, boy. Not good.

I had no interest whatsoever in the cross-dressing fashionista. In fact, he gave me the heebie-jeebies sometimes. Wizard removed his hand from my mouth, narrowing his bi-colored eyes at me as he did so. I glared back at him, unsure of how I felt about this whole situation. They had both just put me on the spot. Well, Julius more so than Wizard. Apparently, the magic man hadn't had the decency to even TELL me we were going together.

That's when I realized it. _I...I _want _to go with Wizard, _I thought to myself. I subconsciously glanced down at him, but found he was still burning a hole in the side of Julius's head. Another thought suddenly occurred to me: Was Wizard...

_Jealous?_

Nuh-uh. No way. I seriously doubted the guy even knew what jealousy was, much less have any reason to feel it over me and someone like Julius. Who, by the way, was staring at me expectantly. I swallowed heavily and tried to word this as best I could; I wanted to let him down easy. "Umm...Actually Julius, I...I mean, I don't...you know, _like _you that way." I felt horrible as I watched his face fall. "I'm really sorry!" Goodness, I was awful at this.

Wizard looked smug, and I fought the urge to smack him. What was up with him? This was not the regular Wizard I knew that read books, stared at stars all night and drank so much caffeine it was unhealthy and bordering on obsessive. This man...he looked...I dunno, but he definitely was not acting normal. I puzzled over it for a moment before Julius spoke. I promised to come back to this problem later.

"Hmph," he grumbled as he turned on his heel. "I see. Have fun with your _wizard, _then." And he slammed the door. I winced and stared at it, feeling despicable. Although Julius wasn't really a great friend of mine and often creeped me out by his questionable orientation, I didn't want to hurt him at all. That scenario had never happened to me before in my entire life, and I definitely could have gone about it a different way. I sighed and rubbed my temples, finally getting off of Wizard and slumping against the back of the couch.

"Why?" I asked when I finally managed to collect my thoughts. Wizard glanced up guiltily from his book, knowing exactly what I was talking about. "Why would you do that? If you wanted to go, all you had to do was ask. You didn't have to voluntell me to go with you."

"I am not...'voluntelling' you to do...anything," he answered quietly. "You still have...a choice. Toby was more than...willing to ask...you, as well." He ignored my gasp of surprise. "I...don't know what I...was thinking at the...time." He stopped and continued his book. My shoulders slumped; so he actually didn't want to go with me. I shoulda known.

"Well, we kind of have to go now, after that little performance," I muttered. Then, so quietly I'm not even sure he heard it, I said, "But I still would have gone with you if you asked."

If Wizard heard, he chose not to acknowledge my last statement. I deflated further. "I suppose," he mused. "We do not...have to go into...town. We can stay here...and watch from the...roof." He turned to look at me, something similar to excitement glimmering in his one visible green eye. "I could...teach you about stars...if you like."

I wanted to smile widely and accept readily, something that puzzled me, because I hadn't ever really given thought to Wizard and me together like that. But, I decided to make things hard on him by arguing after all he'd done and put me through. Confusing me, telling people _without my knowledge _that we were going to a romantic festival, confusing me even more, what with how he looked at and talked to Julius. I fought back a smirk and remained properly annoyed as I said, "But I thought this was a _Moon _Viewing festival."

"We...can have a..._Star _Viewing festival."

"Isn't that what _Star_ry Night's for?"

Wizard turned to glare at me. "...Molly?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note (again): HorseGirl784 had Molly use her own special word, "voluntell". It's interesting, and I'm trying not to change the story too much, so I kept it. :3<strong>


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: Konnichiwa! :D I don't know why I felt the need to say hello in Japanese but yeah. Anyway, here is chapter 11. I hope you enjoy it! :3  
><strong>

**Chapter 11**

**Wizard's PoV**

I decided that I really do not like feeling nervous.

Not just that, but the fact behind my nervousness, which has yet to be revealed. I truly have no reason to be so anxious about tonight, right? It's just Molly and me, sitting on my roof and her listening as I teach her about stars. Which just so happens to be a result from my "voluntelling" (Molly's word. I do not know where she got it from.) her to stay with me. On the night of the Moon Viewing festival. A romantic ordeal. With dates.

Right.

Such was the state of my inner thoughts as I paced and paced and paced around my living room floor at six thirty p.m. of fall fourteenth. The little ball of anxiety in the pit of my stomach seemed to be mocking me. I should not be so jumpy about this. I have known Molly for over a season now, and I believed that we were good friends. So _why _was I obsessing over every little thing? It shouldn't matter to me that hopefully I had made enough snacks to last us the night, that said snacks were actually to the farm girl's tastes because, to be honest, I didn't have many strawberries this time of year. I shouldn't care that my roof was rather uncomfortable and she might not want to stay very long because of it. And, most importantly, I should _not care at all _that half the town was gossiping about us spending this night together and that almost all the males living here hated my guts at this very moment and would jump at the first opportunity to take her away from me.

But I couldn't shake the loathsome nervousness. Nor could I get rid of that...anger at the men living here. The measures they were willing to go to make sure she ended up with them were almost unbelievable; apparently, I was only an obstacle. And for some reason, I was rather happy with this role, yet another thing that I was not used to feeling, thinking, or even being. I continued my pacing and glanced at the clock on the wall. Molly would be here at seven, with Finn in tow as usual.

My eyes began to wander around the room, in search for something to distract me, when they fell on the glittering blue crystal ball resting innocently on my coffee table. I paused and stared at it, an idea suddenly coming to mind. Why not read Molly's heart while I'm waiting? Just out of curiosity, of course; I'm not a stalker. I only but skimmed the surface of who she is when the young men of Castanet come and ask me to see what she likes or dislikes. To be honest, I didn't particularly care whether or not she liked bandanas or what her favorite colors were; you didn't need a crystal ball to tell you such things. I wanted to know the real Molly, the girl the men here only seemed to look at for her pretty face and figure, with a bubbly attitude and peculiar, almost child-like innocence.

My mind was made up, and I trotted over to the ball and let my hands hover over its smooth surface. I hastily chanted the incantation to myself in thought, directing the sudden flow of warm magic to my hands, making them glow a pale blue. The room darkened as it usually did, and my hair began to float away from my face. I closed my eyes in concentration and pictured Molly's smiling face in my mind, conjuring the image within the depths of the crystal.

I slowly opened my eyes to see the remnants of Molly's image swirling away, only to be replaced by the contents of her heart. My eyes widened, and I let out an almost inaudible gasp; Molly O'Connor's heart was the purest, kindest, most innocent heart I had ever seen in my five hundred-odd years.

The girl had never been backstabbed nor betrayed, never been seriously hurt emotionally or physically. But yet...she somehow knew how to be the perfect balm to those who had. She was so ready and eager to welcome anybody in that it almost seemed naive, but she was anything but. She was smart and insightful, often seeing things in ways most people would never even consider. She had somehow managed to carry her child-like innocence over into adulthood, which only added to her charming character. Molly did not have overly-depressing memories of anything or anybody; her childhood had been a happy one, and she looked back on it fondly.

I was completely absorbed as I read deeper, feeling slightly like I was intruding as I flipped through her being like pages in a book. There was just absolutely nothing about her that even indicated that she had the most remote possibility of being hateful or holding a grudge. I chuckled quietly to myself as I remembered that she did, however, have a short fuse. I returned to the crystal as I continued to peer into Molly's heart, utterly fascinated by her. No wonder every man here wanted her for his own; she was loyal and determined, hard-working and trustworthy.

I continued flipping through it, but suddenly backtracked as I skimmed by something. There was just a glimmer of gold there...You see, in human hearts, emotions are represented by different colors. Green for family affection, blue for depression, red for friendliness, yellow for confusion, orange for anger, and gold for romantic affection. There was just the slightest hint of gold hidden deep within her heart, and I dug toward it, the feeling like I was prying intensifying. It was a struggle to reach the metallic color, but I finally managed. And I almost fell off the couch when I did.

It was me.

I stared, slack-jawed and wide-eyed, like an idiot at my reflection, dully glowing gold in Molly's heart. I blinked a few times, wondering if it was just an illusion. But every time I peered back into the crystal ball, my stoic, blank face continued to stare up at me. I couldn't bring myself to move on from the image, to much more important things like the feeling of the powerful forces I had felt surrounding Molly upon first meeting her. That, certainly, required my attention. But this was just...just..._unreal._

Molly...likes me? Molly O'Connor, the outgoing, talkative woman who had just about every man on this island dropping at her feet like flies, harbored small, perhaps yet-to-be-recognized feelings for _me_, the boring Wizard who almost never leaves his house and more often than not passes out on the floor at three in the morning from staring at the sky for too long? That just could not be true. I shook the ball, wondering if my image would dissipate and morph into somebody different. But it didn't.

And I was pleased.

I almost dropped the ball when I realized this. It was at that moment that I had never been so sorely tempted to look at my own heart, because that was not expected at all. This...quest that I was helping Molly with was supposed to be temporary. It was not supposed to build into something beyond friendship, yet I found that I was suddenly dissatisfied with the term.

Before I could do anything I might regret later, I wiped the image clean from the ball and hastily set it back down as if it was incredibly hot. Then...I just stared. Stared blankly into space as my mind immediately returned to my golden-hued image within the depths of Molly's innocent heart and the sudden jolt the ball of nervousness made upon discovering it. I was...thoroughly confused, to say the least. I did not understand the basis of her small affections, or what exactly I might feel in return. Emotions were something entirely foreign to me. I have lived life, just going through the motions, for so long now that the surprises Molly always sprang on me were refreshing almost. Although, that anger I felt almost constantly now I could do without. But what about what _Molly's _presence does to me? Not once in my entire life had I ever blushed or been flustered, yet she had managed to do it to me twice now. That, certainly, was not normal nor purely friendship-based.

Confusing, like I said. Or maybe I was just clueless.

A timid knock sounded on my door, slowly pulling me from thoughts I never would have expected to have. I glanced once more at my crystal ball, promising to look back at it later and maybe, just maybe, into her future before standing up and opening the door. Molly stepped inside and bounced on her toes from the chill. She beamed up at me, and I noticed the absence of Finn. That was something strange; the two were joined at the hip, almost.

"Hi, Wizard!" Molly chirped, her cheeks and nose red from the cold air outside. She stuffed her hands into the pocket of her maroon hoodie, three sizes too big, and followed me as I walked over to the platform by my telescope. I nodded at her, not trusting myself to speak after what I had just discovered. I wondered if Molly could somehow see how...out of it I was, and if -

"Uh, you okay?"

...Great.

I turned to look at her, careful to control my expression. Molly was a few steps below me, peering up at me with slightly worried eyes. A little crease had formed between her auburn-ish eyebrows as I met her stare. "You didn't even say hi to me! I mean, you don't really say much at all in the first place, but you always greet me." She started fiddling with her fingers. "Do you...not want to do this? I can leave...I mean...I will if you want me to 'cause I'd feel horrible if I did something you didn't want me to and then made it really awkward 'cause you're a cool guy and a great friend and I don't wanna make things weird and I'm sure it won't be so bad to be alone -" She paused to suck in a deep breath, and I cracked a small smile and spoke before she could continue.

"I...do not mind," I said. "I promised to teach you...about stars, and I...have every intention of doing...so." I turned and continued up the stairs, making my way towards a small narrow ladder half-hidden by the giant telescope. I beckoned her over, and she looked at the narrow bars nervously, biting her lip. I chuckled lightly and said, "They...are stable. I have...used this…many times."

"If you say so," she muttered as she began climbing. It took her a while, seeing as she was being very careful about her movements; she had the tendency to be a klutz. I wouldn't be surprised at all if she somehow managed to slip. When she was about half-way up the ladder, I followed, making sure I had my cloak because it was rather chilly tonight.

"OhmahGoodness, Wizard! I didn't know you could cook!" Molly attempted to say around a mouthful of food. At least, that's what I thought she was saying. She picked up another rice ball and set it on her paper plate, so I guess that was a safe assumption to make.

I nodded and smiled a little. "Thank...you," I said. "I...keep in practice often, seeing...as I have lived alone for...over five-hundred years." I grimaced towards the end. Looking back on all the many years I had spent in solitude depressed me.

I had expected tonight to be incredibly awkward, both from the forced situation my big mouth had gotten us in, and what I had discovered when snooping around in Molly's heart a few hours ago. But I was pleasantly surprised; Molly had not brought up the incident with Julius or actually been angry with me for practically forcing her into this, and she was rather easy to please and converse with. Although she had the tendency to fill every moment with idle chatter, I did not mind it so much. It was amusing, to say the least, and a welcome change to our stressful research of the past weeks. It was nice to take a break.

"I'll bet," she said, sitting back on her hands and crossing her legs. She lifted her face to the stars, and I watched her stare for a minute, studying the slope of her nose and shape of her cheekbones. She turned to me with a wide smile, and I quickly looked away, taking a bite of a rice ball myself. "Well, how 'bout that star lesson? You didn't think you were gonna get out of it, did you?"

I kept smiling and gazed at the dark blue sky. The vast expanse was so open and crystal clear here on Castanet, no smog or thick, low-hanging clouds to obscure your view. Above us, billions and billions of tiny twinkling lights glittered and glowed. I felt at peace as Molly fell silent and stared with me, for once not breaking the comfortable silence. She shivered a little and wrapped her hands around the folds of her hoodie.

When she spoke next, it was but a mere whisper. "What kinds of constellations are out this time of year? I wonder what mine was...I've always wondered." She smiled a bit sheepishly as she said, "Most of my friends knew theirs, but I never really found out. I wonder if the meanings and stuff that they say go along with them are true...like, Libra people are always likeable, and Pisces are creative."

I shifted closer and rested one hand on a raised knee. "In some...cases, that is true. Yours...for instance." Molly glanced down from the sky to look at me with piqued interest, the unspoken question in her probing eyes. "Your birthday is...winter second...yes?" She nodded. "Then...you were born under the...centaur Sagittarius. They say...you are outgoing and optimistic, and have many friends." I chuckled as I said, "It...is also mentioned that...they tend to be flirtatious." Molly's face lit up a delicate scarlet, but I pressed on. "Not...in your case, thank...Goodness."

Molly laughed softly and punched my arm. "What's that supposed to mean?" She asked teasingly before turning back to the sky. "That's really cool, though...I've always thought of myself as an optimist. I wonder what your sign is?"

"I...do not know," I answered, following her gaze. "I do not remember...my birthday. It is...not entirely necessary when you...are immortal, anyway." Molly shook her head in mock disappointment, and I searched the sky some more, searching for a constellation to show her. I found a few major ones, those that are out in late summer to mid-autumn in the south. I pointed to one such chain; it was long and dipped and climbed, but boxed in at one end to form the impression that it was snake. "That...is Hydra," I said lowly, and Molly followed the trail with her mahogany eyes. "It is the...longest constellation, and it...means 'water serpent'."

The farm girl scooted closer to me to get a better angle. Our shoulders almost brushed as she lifted her hand and traced the pattern with an index finger. "It really does look like a snake," she remarked before turning to me and flashing a dazzling smile. The thumping in my chest suddenly became much louder and harder. "What does Sagittarius mean?"

"Archer," I said instantly. Molly laughed softly.

"I'm not an archer. I'd probably be dangerous to _myself_ with a bow and arrow."

We continued that way for many hours. I showed her Virgo and Cancer, Gemini and Carina. Molly laughed and asked questions with true interest, as if this was fascinating to her. I was glad; it would have been terrible if I had been boring her with my star blather...well, as much as I can blather, anyway. I was happy to share my knowledge with her. Not many people, mortal or otherwise, tended to stick around after I read their future or fortunes. With Molly, it was different. She was genuinely interested in what I had to say, and always remarked with a witty saying or soft-spoken compliment. And she never once asked me to do a reading for her. Granted, I had done one on my own will, but never had I read her future. I wanted to so badly; she was clearly not ordinary.

By the end of the night, as I watched her yawn and sleepily say goodbye when she stood in my front doorway, I realized that I truly treasured Molly and our time together. It wasn't awkward or forced (for the most part) and despite our shockingly different dispositions, we almost never got short with one another. Vivi and I got murderous towards the other more often than we managed to converse civilly, and that was about the extent of any contact I had had, outside of my fortune telling.

Molly hesitated in my doorway as I leaned in it, and opened her mouth, her hands twitching as if she was about to say something. I raised one eyebrow and watched as she smiled, a bit sadly, and took a step back, folding her hands behind her back. "Thanks for tonight, Wizard," she said before she yawned hugely again. "I had a really great time. I'd, um..." She looked at her feet and scuffed a sneakered toe on the concrete outside. "I...I'd like to do it again. You know, if you want to. I completely understand if you don't wanna put up with me for that long again." She looked back up, and her cheeks were slightly red.

"I...would like that," I said quickly, surprising both myself and Molly. "As long...as you promise…to cook...next time."

Molly laughed. "You know, I would, but I'd probably poison you. I can't cook. Like, _at all_. Coffee and cold cereal are about the extent of it. Chase would have a conniption."

She smiled again and said goodbye, promising to come by again tomorrow afternoon to resume our search for the next bell. I closed the door once she was completely out of sight and sighed at the worn wood.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: Hello again. :) I know it's been a few days since I last updated. I apologize for that. I hope you shall forgive me with this next chapter here. :D Anyway, you know the deal. I don't own Harvest Moon. It would be so awesome if I did. Oh, and the chapters of this story up through chapter 20 are written by HorseGirl784 and edited by me. Hope you enjoy the chapter! :3  
><strong>

**Chapter 12**

**Molly's PoV**

Fall took its sweet time on leaving Castanet Island. It lingered for longer than I thought it should have. Not that I really minded; winter was by far my least favorite season. Like, ever. Chelsea always loved winter for the pretty snow and sharp, chilly air, but to me it was just really cold, and I got sick all the time. But she was right about one thing: winter was very romantic.

_If I ever get married, _I thought to myself as I bundled up in way too many layers in preparation for making the trek to my barn, _it's definitely going to be in winter._

Finn, being the summer-Sprite he is, refused to accompany me outside anymore unless we were going to go see the Goddess. I guess since he was so small, he got really cold really easily. I didn't really blame him for wanting to stay inside; the weather here was just downright unbearable. It had gotten below ten degrees last night, and the wind chill was so severe today that it felt like twenty below zero. My pond right outside of the fields had frozen over, too.

I still shivered as I stepped outside. Huddled inside my many layers, I trudged towards the barn and chicken coop, watching the little puffs of steam my breath made in the air. I looked around me as I walked. Another thing that Chelsea had said during our time at the University was that winter mornings were by far the most beautiful. And boy, was she right.

The sun was just beginning to peek over the crest of the distant hills, and the hard, packed snow against the ground glowed a dull pink color. The sky was such a light blue it almost looked grey, and little wisps of clouds that were a bright orange-y color floated high overhead. The cold air nipped at my cheeks and nose, stinging them and turning them pink. It was so quiet. It seemed like I was the only person on earth. I watched the sunrise, the sky turning a clear blue and the snow changing from pink to orange to pure white. It was dazzling; I wished Finn was here to watch it with me.

I sighed when I remembered that my animals were probably freezing their little furry butts off, so I scuffed across the slippery snow carefully, trying not to slip. I went over to the coop and shoved open the rickety door. I really needed to get this place upgraded; there was a horrible draft inside. Nevertheless, Peep, Cheep and Meep were clucking around happily inside and ruffling their white feathers. The three hens rushed over to my feet when they spotted me and followed as I grabbed a bag of feed and began tossing it on the ground. I gathered their eggs, which were now Good quality instead of Decent and wrapped my arms around myself as I stepped back outside, the eggs rolling around in the wicker basket I was holding.

Bellie mooed happily when I stepped inside the warm barn, the temperature in stark contrast to that of the coop. I should probably move the chickens in here until I could get it upgraded. I made my way over to her, stroking her black velvety ears as I cooed, "Good morning, Mama. Are you cold?" I grabbed a blanket from an overhanging shelf and tossed it over the heifer, worrying a bit for her calf that was due any day now. I restocked her hay net and went to brush my almost-mature sheep, Tilly, who bleated indignantly when I tried to polish her hooves. I wanted her to be in tip-top shape for the animal festival in spring.

I gave her some fodder too, then stood back and inspected my barn. It was big...it seemed really empty with only two animals in it. I pondered getting another one...a horse, maybe? A big white gelding sounded nice to me.

Barn chores done, I walked back outside and tried to think of what to do with myself. It was winter sixth today, a Thursday, so Wizard was busy with his readings. Usually, I'd spend most of my day with him and try to find the next bell. I had found an empty pedestal in the loft of Horn Ranch, but I had absolutely no idea where the bell for it was, or which one went there at all. Wizard said there was a specific order I had to go in to summon the Harvest King and save the island. I'd already found fire and soil, so next came water. Except, I don't think that a bell that went with water was gonna be upstairs in a dusty, dry barn.

My mind began to wander as I walked towards Harmonica Town, not exactly sure where I was going or what I was going to do. Ever since the Moon Viewing festival back in the fall, things with Wizard had been...slightly odd. I mean on his part...and kind of mine, too. If anything, I wasn't thinking of Wizard as just a friend anymore. It had started out that way; he was just a guy - a rather handsome, mysterious guy - who happened to know a lot about the history of Castanet and could help me with my quest. There hadn't originally been anything romantic, even remotely, going on in my head. But that was really changing, and I didn't even know why.

I scuffed my boot on the ground at the thought. Wizard and I were nothing alike; he was mature, I was childish. He was slightly anti-social, I was friends with everyone here. He was quiet, I was loud. He was smart, I was naive. He didn't say much, I never stopped talking. Plus, there was a ginormous age difference between us; he was immortal! There was no way we could be together. I wasn't even denying it anymore; I _liked_ Wizard. I _wanted _to be with him. But I really didn't think Wizard was capable of seeing anyone, much less me, in that way. I didn't really know much about him, either. His past, where he learned magic, his family...all those were shrouded in shadows and mystery. I sighed and jammed my mitten-clad hands into the pockets of my coat, frowning slightly.

Wizard himself had been acting weird, too. He was even quieter than usual and couldn't seem to look me in the face anymore. It really hurt and frustrated me. I mean, he was still nice, funny and all that, but...he wasn't himself. I wanted to know what had happened, if I'd gone and made our friendship weird in some way, but every time I tried to steer our conversations in that direction, he'd either stop talking all together or completely change the subject. It was infuriating and made me sad; I wanted him to talk to me.

I stopped walking and looked around, realizing I had wandered into the Garmon Mine district. It was deserted, mostly; all the shops were closed today. Only Luke remained, wrapped in a leather jacket and tossing a tennis ball for his Pyrenees, Boss. He grinned toothily at me and waved enthusiastically, and I couldn't help but laugh softly and walk over. He smiled wider when I reached him and scooted over, patting the spot close beside him. "Mornin, Molls!" he said cheerfully. I sat beside him and scratched Boss's ears. "Man, is it cold or what? Pops and Bo had to go shopping for new jackets and stuff." He laughed heartily as he said, "I'll bet they look ridiculous in that shop, with all the pink on the inside."

I laughed too. "Yeah, I think so." I turned and snatched the ball from him and tossed it a good distance away. Boss immediately took off after it, and Luke whistled lowly, impressed. I flexed, and he laughed again.

"Guess all that farm work's put some muscle on ya, huh skinny?" He pinched my arm, and I slapped his hand away, puffing out my cheeks. He chuckled and straightened his flaming bandana over his mop of blue hair. I swear, everybody here looks like they were all thrown into a dye vat and mixed together.

Luke saw me eyeing his hair and arched one eyebrow, his golden eyes meeting mine. "Oh," I said. "I was just thinking about how everybody here has such weird hair colors. And eyes, too!" The carpenter was giving me a strange look, so I giggled and explained. "Like, you have blue hair, and so does Candace. I've never seen that before! And Maya's is orange, not blonde or whatever, and Chase's is, like..._pink!_" Luke laughed at that, and I continued. "And his eyes are purple! And yours are gold, which I think is pretty cool. But yeah...oh! And Phoebe's hair is GREEN! And Luna's looks like cotton candy."

"What about Julius?"

"Oh yeah! Purple hair and red eyes! That's just not normal. But I think he did the streaks himself." I leaned closer and asked in a deadly serious voice, "Is he...you know...straight? I'm not really sure."

It was silent for a split second before we both collapsed into gales of laughter. Luke clutched his stomach and slapped his knees while I hugged myself and tried not to snort. We finally pulled it together after a few minutes and sighed. "Oh, he's straight, alright," Luke said, a bit breathless. Then he turned to me, and his face was oddly serious. "I heard he asked you out last season, and you told him no."

"Oh yeah," I said, a bit uncomfortable. I had forgotten about that, when he walked in on me sitting on Wizard. "He did. To the Moon Viewing festival...I still don't get why, though. I didn't have any idea he even liked me!"

"Why did you tell him no? Do you like somebody else or something? Wizard?"

I froze, silently cursing Julius and his big mouth with every foul word I knew. Yes, I liked Wizard, but I wasn't about to admit it. At the time, I didn't even know myself, so Julius must have made it up or something from me sitting on him and gossiped. Great. I turned to Luke and smiled as winningly as I could and shrugged mischievously. "You'll never know, Luke," I said, wiggling my fingers in his face. He smirked and leaned back on his hands. We fell into a comfortable silence, which was odd, and watched Boss sniff around in the snow.

Luke hopped up suddenly, making me jump. Then, so quickly I didn't even have time to react, he bent down, scooped up a handful of snow and hurled it into my face. It stuck in my eyelashes and hair, stung my eyes and cheeks. It slid off my face, revealing my stunned expression, and Luke laughed until he couldn't breathe. That is, until another snowball smacked him in the face, too.

I stood with my hands on my hips, smiling smugly as he gaped at me. Then his mouth fell into a wide smirk, and I started backing away. "Don't you dare, Luke. LUKE...stop." He was getting closer, his axe slung across his back and both hands full of snow. "ACK! Don't get any closer!"

"You have five seconds to run, Molly," he said lowly. I turned and hurtled towards the bridge when he started counting. "One...two..."

I was halfway to Harmonica Town before I heard footsteps behind me, thudding down the dirt pathway. I shrieked and ran faster, casting a glance over my shoulder to see Luke barreling after me, laughing like a maniac and waving his hands in the air, which still held his lethal snowballs. Villagers stared at us, wondering what on earth had gotten into these strange adults, but I didn't care. So what if I was a twenty-three year old woman and acted like a teenager? It was more fun that way, as my axe-wielding companion agreed.

I dashed through the paved streets, panting and shoving past Toby and Gill, the latter glaring at me for yelling. I kept running though, aiming for Wizard's house. Wouldn't it be just hilarious to barge in, Luke on my trail and have an indoor snowball fight? Maybe that would help him loosen up and act normal again. His unusually lengthy silences were really starting to get to me.

I pounded up the cement stairs, almost slipping a few times and barely managing to catch myself, losing precious time and Luke gained on me. "No!" I shouted/laughed, and he barked out another laugh and came after me still, flying up the steps. I ran up the last flight, not pausing to catch my breath, and burst through Wizard's door. He was on the couch, sitting across from Selena, and the room was very dark. I didn't care though.

"WIZARD!" I shrieked, shocking him out of his magic trance. "THERE'S A CRAZY AXE-MAN ON THE LOOSE AND HE'S AFTER MEEEEEE! HEEEEEELLLLP!" Luke charged through the door at that moment, and I dived behind a couch, pulling Wizard with me. He didn't even have time to ask what was going on, 'cause Luke had rounded the corner and starting chucking his snowballs. I heard a splat as Selena was hit, and she screeched something unintelligible at the carpenter. I heard her stomp out of the house only to return moments later, and the fight was back on. The exotic dancer had joined the battle with her own ammo.

"Quick," I whispered to Wizard, who was still in shock at the sudden change of events. "Summon us some huge snowballs while they're distracted!"

"Molly," he whispered harshly back. "I do not...have time for this. Get...them out...of here."

"Aww, c'mon! It's just a little snow! It won't -"

"_Now, _Molly. I...do not have time...for your childishness. Leave."

He said that with such force and anger that I couldn't doubt the sincerity of his words. I gasped and shot to my feet, glaring down at the silver-haired man. He didn't have time for me? Fine. I could fix that. I would leave. Leave him to brood and be moody all by himself again.

"Fine," I snapped, and the squabbling ceased around me. I was sure my eyes were flashing as I said, "I _will._ Stay here all alone and be grumpy, for all I care. I can find the bells myself, since I'm obviously too _childish_ for you." Before he could react, I whirled, stalking past Luke and grabbing his hand, along with Selena's, and stomping out the door. "Have fun with your books!" I shouted over my shoulder, and Luke closed the door behind me. I wished he would have slammed it, but I'd take what I could get. I dropped their hands and sat on a step, huffing and trying to reign in my anger.

"What was that about?" Selena asked in her exotic accent. Luke nodded, and I stood and sighed before trudging down the steps, still incredibly angry. I mean, I knew I sometimes annoyed Wizard, but he'd never been outright rude and harsh to me. It hurt...a lot.

I turned to my two friends, both of them sopping wet with snow. Luke's bandana was about to fall off, and Selena had melting flakes in her hair. I shrugged and pushed my hair behind my ears. The dancer and carpenter came up beside me as I walked, and I said, "Wizard...he was just really mean just now. I guess I wasn't prepared for it; he's usually so nice to me."

"Awww, Molls," Luke said, throwing an arm around my shoulders. Selena winced a little at the contact. Huh. I'd ask her later. "Don't let him get to ya. Did I tell you about that time when he tossed me out into the street using magic? He, like, lifted me into the air and..."

He was still talking, but I wasn't really paying much attention. My mind was on the wizard, wondering why he was suddenly so nasty to me. Did I do something wrong? I guess I had sorta interrupted his reading, but Selena hadn't minded at all. She'd even joined in the fun. Why was he acting so strange? What was it that I'd done? It couldn't be the Moon Viewing festival; I'd already considered that. He'd seemed like he'd actually had fun, and he'd said he'd like to do it again sometime. I guess that offer was void now.

I sighed and stopped walking, realizing we were outside the inn. I stared at my feet, and Selena sighed as well before wrapping me in a tight hug, her faux fur jacket tickling my skin. She was so nice, even though she didn't act like it too often. I thought she was homesick sometimes, and that's why she was so surly most of the time. "Men are mysteries," she whispered in my ear. "He'll come around. Don't worry." She pulled back and smiled a dazzling smile, her white teeth standing out sharply against her tanned skin. I smiled at her too and felt Luke's hand on my shoulder.

"Why don't we grab some lunch?" he suggested, and Selena nodded eagerly. I followed them inside, trying to brush off the harsh sting of rejection.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: I decided to upload two chapters tonight. :) Anyway, I do not own Harvest Moon, unfortunately. And this story so far has come from the genius mind of HorseGirl784. Feel free to review. Hope you enjoy! :3  
><strong>

**Chapter 13**

**Molly's PoV**

Another thing about winters: they are so _b__oring. _Especially when you're stuck in bed with the most horrible cold in the history of planet earth. I'd done nothing but blow my nose and puke for the last several hours, and I don't think I've ever felt worse. Finn was brave and had gone out and enlisted Alan and Collin to help me with my animals, seeing as I had refused crops this season. So I just lay there, staring at the ceiling and wondering what my friends were doing.

Kathy and Maya had stopped by before noon to check on me, seeing as I almost always visited them in the mornings and hadn't shown up this time around. They'd babied me and made me eat some chicken soup...after they had called in Chase Le Chef, since either of the two girls would probably have just killed me with their cooking instead of helping. Selena had stopped by, too; she had taken a day off and was wondering about what to do with herself. She'd cleaned my house for me, told me not to let it get to my head, then sauntered off to do who-knows-what.

Candace had come in, having heard from Kathy that I was ill and brought me a new scarf. It was so cute; it was baby blue and was the softest thing I'd ever felt, with little white stripes on it. Luna was the only one of the island girls that hadn't come to visit; she didn't like me very much, for some reason. I don't really know why. Even Anissa, who I hardly ever talked with these days, had brought me some herbs and a warm smile.

It was about three o' clock when another visitor came...or rather, several visitors. Luke, Owen and Toby all burst through my door and scared me so badly I almost fell out of bed. I glared at them angrily and sniffled, trying to breathe. "What are you guys doing? And don't touch that, Luke!" The carpenter was messing around in my toolbox, pulling out all my various tools and exclaiming over each one. Owen chuckled deeply.

"We heard you were sick," Toby said, stepping forward, "and we wanted to know if there was anything we could do!" All three of them bobbed their heads enthusiastically, and I smiled a little despite my pounding headache.

"Um," I said, racking my brain for anything. "Oh! Can one of you run an errand for me?" Toby stepped forward, and I wondered how his toes hadn't fallen off from the cold yet, 'cause he was wearing sandals. I pulled out a map from my bedside table drawer, something I had discovered yesterday evening at the lighthouse. It was incredibly old and yellowed; some of the pictures were so faded that I couldn't even see them, much less read the writing that was under them. I rolled it up and offered it to the fisherman and said, "Can you give that to Wizard for me, please? I haven't...um, had time to go see him lately." _You liar, Molly..._

"Sure!" Toby chirped, taking the paper and stuffing it in his jacket pocket. I looked back up at my ceiling and sighed.

"That's really all I need done right now, boys," I said. "Everybody else has already stopped by. Go on and do...whatever it is you guys do, okay?" Toby and Owen nodded and clomped back outside into the freezing winter day, but Luke lingered, staring at the floor and fiddling with the zipper on his leather jacket. I sat up, propping myself up on one of my elbows and staring at him quizzically. "What's up, Luke?" I asked, confused.

The slightly insane carpenter glanced up at me quickly before inspecting my floor again. "Um...well, today's the ninth, right?" I nodded, not really sure where he was going with this. He looked back up at me again, his cheeks on fire. "Well...u-um, youknowtheStarryNightfestival'sinafewdays -"

"Whoa, hold up. Can you say that again? You know, _slower?_"

He sighed, and his face flushed scarlet. "The...Starry Night festival's coming up and I w-wanted to know...if, um, you'd go with me?"

Oh, nononononononono. This could not be happening. Not again.

The Starry Night festival was the most romantic night of the year. You went with someone very close and special to you and gazed up at the stars for hours with a picnic and stuff. I personally thought it was kind of cheesy and sappy, but it was a huge deal here. Being asked out to it meant someone liked you. Like, _really _liked you.

"Oh, Luke," I sighed, feeling absolutely horrid. "I'm so, so, sorry...but I don't see you that way. I'm really super sorry!" I begged, hating myself. I didn't want to hurt him; Luke was such a sweet guy. Somewhat intimidating, but still very nice and cute. It's not every day you see a man with a flaming bandana and blue hair.

"Oh," he said dejectedly, his shoulders slumping. I felt even worse. "I understand." He looked back up at me, forcing a smile, and I fought to keep from saying yes just to make him happy again. He gave a half-hearted wave as he walked out my door and said, "I guess I'll see ya around then, Molls." I felt a bit better that he still called me by the nickname; it meant he wasn't overly upset at me. He closed the door gently behind him, and I groaned and fell back onto my pillows. This day just keeps getting better and better.

First, I get horribly sick. Then, Luke asks me out, and I have to tell him no. Now, thoughts of Wizard are shoving themselves back inside my head.

What I told Toby was a complete lie; I'd had plenty of chances to go see Wizard. I just didn't want to or need to. After all, he obviously couldn't put up with me anymore. I was only doing what he wanted. Well, I actually did need to see him, to ask him some strictly business-like questions regarding the map I had found, but I just didn't want to talk to him yet. I knew I was angry when I shouldn't be; what he had said really hadn't been all that bad...maybe. But I just wanted him to know what he was losing if he ticked me off again.

Anyway, I had been trying to think of a way to ask him to decipher the map for me when, lo and behold, Toby had volunteered. I could have asked Owen or Luke to take it to him instead, but I had gone ahead and been cruel to the magic man and gave it to the fisherman. I knew that Wizard didn't like him (although I wasn't really sure why). I knew that he'd probably get annoyed at both me and the silvery-haired man, but I had gone ahead and done it anyway, just to spite him. I glared at the ceiling. I was an awful person.

The telephone on my night-stand suddenly rang shrilly, and I jumped nearly three feet in the air. I glared at the annoying piece of technology; I wasn't in the mood to talk. But I still picked up the receiver, tried once more to breathe through my nose, and said thickly, "Hullo?"

"Geez, you sound gross," a startlingly familiar voice laughed. My mouth fell open before breaking into a huge grin, so wide it hurt my face.

"Angela!" I shouted hoarsely. "I haven't heard from you in forever! Thanks for the awesome compliment, by the way, cuz. I really appreciate it, being sick and all."

"Anytime," my cousin snipped. "I've been busy for a while, so I haven't called. But I have some life-changing news! Well, life-changing to me, anyway." She paused, making me wait. "I finished school, and...I need a place to live. I talked to your parents, they said you'd have room, and BAM! Kasey, Kevin, and I are coming to Castanet Island to once again annoy the crap outta you. You may now thank me for making your life much more exciting."

My first reaction was happiness; Angela and her twin Kasey and their older brother Kevin were like siblings to me. I'd love to have them, but...I only had one bed, and it was currently taken by yours truly. Although Angela was a rather...um, _brusque _girl, I didn't want to turn her and her brothers away. But I simply just didn't have the space.

"Angie," I sighed. "I'd love to give you a place to stay, I really would. But I don't have a bed or anything for you."

"Whatever, I don't need one. I'll take your couch."

"What about -"

"Kevin and Kasey? They've already bought another farm land thing down the road from your house. They'll be stayin' together while you're stuck with me. Happy now?"

I mulled it over; live with my bitingly sarcastic and slightly rude cousin for an indefinite amount of time, with her two brothers just down the road to pester me nonstop? The answer was obvious.

"Cool!" I cheered, then coughed when my throat burned. "I'll get you a real bed soon, though. My couch really isn't that great. When'll you be getting here?"

"About a week and a half," Angela said quickly. "We couldn't get cheap tickets until almost the end of winter. Kasey is totally stoked; he's been going crazy in Kevin's little city apartment. We all need a change of scenery. Really bad, too."

I nodded, then remembered she couldn't see that. "They'll love it here, and so will you." I laughed and said, "And there's plenty of Angela-worthy guy material here, too. But no dating until you prove yourself as a farmin' gal!"

"Killjoy," my cousin mumbled. "But whatever. And be sure to set up the boys, too; Kevin's almost twenty-seven and he's never been on a date. That's, like, way too old."

"Angela, he's four years older than you. You're all pretty young. And don't worry; you'd be surprised how many available guys and gals there are here."_ All but one..._

"It's settled then," Angela said. "I'll see ya soon. Oh, and I should probably mention that I do NOT like livestock. No sheep or pigs or anything for Angie."

"Sure thing! I don't like the crops, so that works out well. I'll see you later, Ang! Have a safe trip!"

"I'm not really in control of that, but whatever. I'll try. Bye," and she hung up. I chuckled again and winced when my throat throbbed but still smiled all the same. I couldn't wait to have Angela here; she would provide some much needed company. We were like sisters, and her two brothers were hilarious. Kasey, her fraternal twin, was just like her, except not so rough around the edges. He was constantly cracking jokes and was a huge flirt, but I still loved him. Kevin was crazy smart and always had his hands full keeping his two siblings in line. We got along pretty well, too, except he sometimes started babbling about things I didn't have a prayer of understanding, like the cosine of pi.

I put the phone back on its cradle and turned on my fuzzy TV, cutting the volume way down so it would be background noise as I took a nap. Finn must have gone to visit the Goddess again, so it was nice and quiet. But, just as I lay back on my pillows and snuggled under the blankets, the air in front of me began to shimmer and waver. My eyes widened as I stared, not sure whether to be freaked out or impressed. After a few minutes, a flash of blue erupted from the spot and a stunning white and red poinsettia fell into my lap. I picked it up and stroked its delicate pedals, awed. I knew who had sent it; the only person in the whole of Harmonica Town that could use magic. Wizard.

I wanted to 'awww' to myself. He was sending me flowers to apologize! But, instead, I smirked and placed it on my nightstand, promising to get it a vase when I woke up from my nap. It was so cute of him to give me a flower, but that wasn't gonna be enough this time. If he wanted to apologize for his oddly rude behavior, he'd have to do it to my face, not just materialize flowers into my house. Oh-ho yes, I was gonna play hard-to-get. My grin grew wider as I finally settled under the covers.

I was so evil.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note 2: Wow, two author's notes for one story. :O Molly, don't you know playing hard-to-get doesn't normally work? Silly Molly. XD<strong>


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: I'm sorry. I know, it's been days since I last uploaded a chapter. I can only say I am sorry and that I have been very busy with school. Well, you know the drill. I don't own Harvest Moon (unfortunately), and the story up to chapter 20 was written by HorseGirl784. I hope you enjoy! :3  
><strong>

**Chapter 14**

**Molly's PoV**

Two days later on winter eleventh, I was finally released from my prison by Finn and allowed to go outside. I felt loads better. My throat still ached a little and my nose was still a bit runny, but I hadn't barfed in days and my headache had completely disappeared. I really wanted to get back to work. I missed my animals and friends.

Wizard hadn't sent me any more flowers (not that I expected him to), but I didn't let it get to me. I felt almost smug as I pranced around my barn, whistling holiday tunes and brushing my cows and sheep. I knew he would come around eventually, just like Selena had said, and I was determined to make him do it properly, like a human man would. He needed to swallow his pride and get his magical rear in gear. I brushed a bit harder against Bellie, my irritation sparking as I let myself dwell on it too much. Maybe it was getting to me. He was taking an awfully long time...

I finished with the animals and stepped outside, and out of the corner of my eye I spotted a flash of purple and ruby. I yelped and spun in that direction, only to be confronted with the devilishly-grinning face of Julius, leaning against the side of my barn. I stared blankly, wondering what on earth he was doing here, but the pretty man only chuckled. He stepped forward, his platform shoes slipping a bit on the ice, and smirked even wider. My skin started to crawl.

"Hello, Molly~" he trilled, planting his hands on his hips and popping his gum. "It's wonderful to see you up so bright and early."

"...You're on my farm. What else did you expect?"

Julius waved a hand dismissively, rolling his unsettling scarlet eyes. "Minor details, my dear," he purred. "We all live in the same town, so we all visit each other frequently anyway. Now," he said, clapping his hands. I quirked an eyebrow. "I must ask you if you are busy tonight. Are you?"

He was only succeeding in confusing me more. I sighed, my bad mood growing. I wasn't in the mood nor did I have the time to beat around the bush and play games. "Just get to the point," I almost snapped. "I have places to go and people to see. I can't just stand here all day and chit-chat."

Julius tutted, wagging a finger at me. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, Molly dear. Patience please. And you didn't answer my question." He smirked again, and my left eye twitched, but I remained silent. Julius shook his head in mock disappointment. "It seems I'll be doing all the talking," he complained. "Now, I wanted to remind you that tonight's the Starry Night festival and wanted to know -"

"No."

Julius stopped abruptly and gaped for a moment before he turned angry. He huffed and glared at me, smacking his gum annoyingly. "Why not?" he snapped. "You don't even know what I was going to ask."

I rolled my eyes and brushed past him. Normally, I wasn't so rude to people. But I'd been sick for the past couple days, I couldn't find the blue bell anywhere to continue to my quest to summon the Harvest King and save the Goddess's tree. Plus, Wizard was ignoring me. It had not been a good week, and I'd already turned Julius down once. Apparently, "no" in his mind meant "ask again later". "You were going to ask me out to the festival with you. And I don't want to go with you. Sorry to be so harsh, Julius, but I already told you; I don't like you that way." I dumped the milk I had gotten from Tilly into the shipping bin, along with my eggs and some wool before whirling to face him. "My feelings haven't changed. Just leave me alone, please."

The fashionista narrowed his eyes menacingly at me, and I leered back. We stared each other down for a while until my nose started to burn from the cold. Julius blinked, and I fought the urge to point at his face and yell, "Ha ha, you blinked! I win!" The purple-haired man scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest, sticking his nose in the air. "It's that stupid fortune teller, isn't it?" he sneered. "I knew it. You never spend your time with anybody else." He huffed, glared at me one last time and stalked off my land. I felt my cheeks heat up in indignation, anger, and embarrassment. Forget trying to be polite; Julius had just gotten himself on _my list _for calling the wizard stupid and assuming things (that were correct, I'll admit). And once you're on, it's very hard to get off _my list._

I balled my hands into fists at my side and stalked into town, irritated beyond belief. What a baby! Getting all huffy and pointing fingers when you get turned down. Can't he see that beautiful and talented Candace had a huge thing for him? Or was he too busy trying to beat out Luke for me to really care? I felt guilt set in again at the mention of Luke's name. I had never wanted to hurt the poor guy. He was so naive and childish that I couldn't help but get along with him. But that's about where the feelings ended: friendship, and nothing more.

I sighed and entered the Brass Bar, not really even sure why I ended up wandering here anyway. Maybe just to talk with Kathy and Maya, if the orange-haired waitress was hanging around. Chase was always good for a conversation too. Maybe I just needed more friendship time, without all the drama.

"Molly!" Kathy exclaimed as I tromped inside, stomping the snow off the bottom of my boots. "You haven't come by in forever! How've ya been?"

"Sick," I growled, still a bit irritated at my stalker, Julius. "And pretty ticked off right now. Did you know Julius is, like, stalking me?"

I heard Chase snort from over behind the counter. I glanced over and saw him smirking, leaning up against the counter and looking like he was trying not to laugh. "Who _doesn't _know?" he snickered. "The guy can't keep his trap shut about who's wearing what and how awful they look in it, much less about the girl he's been trying to go out with for who knows how many seasons." He chuckled sarcastically again. "You must be pretty dense, 'cause it seems like you're the only one who didn't have any idea before now."

I rolled my eyes at him and plunked down in a stool, Kathy next to me. The blonde looked thoughtful, although slightly nervous. She kept flicking glances at me, and finally I just nudged her elbow and asked, "Hey, what's up?" Chase quirked an eyebrow, wondering the same thing.

Kathy shrugged, then mumbled something under her breath. When I asked her to speak up, she sighed. "I was just wondering if...someone else had asked you out yet."

"Owen?" Chase blurted, then smirked when his friend gasped and blushed, shooting him an icy glare. I squealed and clapped my hands together, spinning my chair from side to side. "Oh, Kathy!" I gushed. "You like Owen? That's sooooo cute~! You'd look so good together. I wonder -"

She clamped a hand over my mouth, and I shut up. "That's enough," she hissed, but I knew she was only embarrassed. She slowly released me, making sure I wouldn't spew anything else to get under her skin, then slumped in her chair. "He's just been really...I dunno, he doesn't talk to me as much." She eyed me accusingly. "And Luke seems really down."

I flinched, and Kathy's eyebrows rose. "About that," I whispered. "Um, when I was sick a few days ago and you all came to visit me, Toby, Owen and Luke all came together. Toby and Owen didn't hang around long but Luke stayed behind and, um..." I paused, "…asked me to Starry Night."

Kathy gasped, and Chase's purple eyes widened. He opened his mouth to start talking, but so did Kathy. I couldn't hear what either of them had said, because they kept trying to talk over one another. Finally, the chef pulled Kathy's pony-tail, making her yelp and an opening for him to talk. "You didn't say yes, did you?" he demanded.

I shook my head no, and Kathy gasped again while Chase let out a gusty sigh. "But whyyyyy?" Kathy whined. "Luke is so cool! He doesn't just like anybody, you know. I mean, Selena's had this thing for him for the longest time, but he's never caught on to it. Why'd you turn him down?" Ah, so Selena had something for Luke. That explained a lot.

I shrugged. "I don't think of him that way. He's just a friend." Kathy opened her mouth to question me further but suddenly stopped and gawked at something over my right shoulder. I turned around to look, only to find the same shimmering air that had appeared when Wizard sent me his flower. I smiled and waited, wondering what he wanted to give me now, until the flash of blue appeared, and the map I had sent him fluttered into my outstretched hands. I grinned widely; finally! Now I could continue on my quest!

"Whoa," Kathy and Chase breathed. "What just happened?"

"Wizard," I responded, still smiling hugely. I unrolled the map and flipped it over. On the back was a hand-written message from Wizard himself. Kathy came to peer at it over my shoulder.

"This is the key to ringing the blue bell," she read aloud. Her eyes followed the neat, slanting and exotic handwriting with interest. I listened closely, reading the message to myself, too. "You need to repair the aqueduct and tune the bell in order for it to be rung. I have already discovered it on its pedestal in the Watery Cave. I spoke with Ben, and he told me to tell you he is rooting for you. Even still, I stress this: _be careful. _The path to the cave is covered in ice and, knowing you, you will somehow find a way to slip off and fall into the ocean." Kathy paused to laugh, and Chase snickered. "Looks like he knows you real well, Molls," the barmaid said, winking slyly. I growled at her to shut up, and she continued reading.

"To access the aqueduct, open the gate near my house with the key attached. You need a duck egg (ask Chase for ingredients), a black pearl, which can be found in the Watery Cave on level 25, and any five fish. The last thing required is a windy day; I will help you with this. When you have collected the items, meet me by the gate to the aqueduct. I will be waiting for you there tomorrow at two p.m. Wizard." Kathy's eyes roved to the bottom of the page, and I read aloud what it said. "PS: Do not test my patience again, Molly O'Connor."

I couldn't help it; I bust out laughing, knowing he was talking about my sending Toby to bring him the map. Kathy and Chase shared a look that clearly showed they thought I was insane. I didn't really care, and I slowly managed to get my guffaws under control. Wiping my eyes, I stood and gathered up the map, plucking off the key that Wizard had so kindly taped by his signature. "I'm off, you guys," I chirped. "Oh, wait." I turned to Chase and smiled impishly. "Can I have a duck egg, please?"

The chef sighed heavily, feigning irritation, but walked back into the kitchen and returned moments later with the item I needed. He tossed it to me and said, "Good luck. And bring me any extra fish you might catch. I'm running low on stuff for seafood."

"Sure thing!" I promised as I bolted out the door. Once outside, I paused and whistled for Finn. We'd made it our little...calling card, for lack of a better word. Seconds later, with a small pop, he appeared by my ear and I explained our situation to him. "Cool!" he cheered, doing little loops in the air. "Follow me! I know where the Watery Cave is. We should find the black pearl first, since that might take the longest. Let's goooooo~"

He took off, and I fell behind a little as I carefully made my way down the stacked-up houses and shops. Finn led me to the docks, and a gusty wind blew unforgivingly over the cold ocean water. It ruffled my hair and sent freezing shivers down my spine, but my Sprite toughed it out and continued to zip down a narrow walkway off to the right. I followed him very slowly, realizing that Wizard had been right about the ice, and the path had no rail on the side facing the ocean.

We finally reached the cave, and inside was even colder than outside. I shivered violently and wrapped my new scarf around my neck more tightly. I made my way towards a small stone staircase by the giant blue bell, hanging silent and just waiting to be rung. I wondered where Ben was; the Sprites usually talked to me. Maybe he was too weak or something, like Collin had been.

I peered down the slippery steps into the dark cavern below and bit my lip in nervousness. I had no idea how much colder it would get, or even if I would be able to see at all and avoid the threatening patches of frozen-over puddles. I turned to Finn, who was clutching my shoulder. "Well," I breathed, trying to gather my courage and take the first step down. "Here goes nothing!"

Down in the cave, it was absolutely _freezing._ My teeth started chattering, and Finn told me my lips were blue. But the poor guy was shaking so bad that his hat was coming off. "Aww, Finn," I fussed. I unbuttoned my jacket quickly and opened it up. "C'mon, I have some inside pockets for you to warm up in. You look so cold!"

"I'm f-f-f-f-fine," he chattered. I silenced him with a glare, and he gave in, fluttering into one of the pockets inside my jacket. "Ah," he sighed as he snuggled in. "Much better. Thank you so much, Molly! I'll be out soon...whenever I can feel my toes again." I chuckled and buttoned the coat back up, looking for the next staircase. Wizard's message said I needed to get to floor twenty five, and so far we had made it ten levels. I had found an old flashlight in my rucksack, so I could at least see where I was going and not trip and bust open my face.

I spotted the stone steps towards the far right corner and went as quickly as I could, watching my steps. I sat down at the top of the staircase and slowly slid down on my butt, not trusting my feet to do the job properly. I couldn't afford to fall down and knock myself unconscious. Not again. I flinched and subconsciously rubbed the back of my neck, feeling along the puckered pink scar from when I had helped Wizard find his crystal ball. Jake had gone ballistic and threw me into his bedside table, slicing my head open and giving me a concussion. It wasn't very fun.

I repeated the process over the next couple hours: find the steps, sit down, slide on butt, find next staircase. It took absolutely forever to get to level twenty five, and I was so cold by then that everything was numb; my fingers, toes, ears, nose, lips. Even still, I had to find this pearl. The health of Castanet Island depended on it! But no pressure or anything.

I stood up and looked around eagerly, waving around my flashlight. I squealed in joy when the light bounced off the smooth surface of a glistening black pearl. It was a little bigger than a golf ball and was smoother than silk when I picked it up. I took Finn out of my pocket and showed it to him. The little Sprite smiled so widely it looked painful and cheered, his shouts echoing off the cavern walls. I tucked the pearl into my rucksack, wrapping it in a spare pair of gloves to keep it looking flawless, and wearily began dragging myself up the steps towards the surface. I was bone-tired and ready to go to bed. It had taken almost all day to get down here, as I was being very careful to follow Wizard's instructions and not hurt myself. I smiled as I thought about that sentence. He cared about me. He didn't want me to get hurt.

Climbing up the steps was much easier than going down. I didn't have to search for the staircases anymore. But, lifting my legs who knows how many hundreds of times made me even more tired, and visions of hot coffee and a fuzzy blanket made my eyelids droop. But, I kept going, finally reaching the first level and walking back outside into the sharp winter air. It felt almost warm out here now, after I'd spent almost all day inside those totally and completely _frigid _caves.

I yawned hugely, taking the first step back up towards Harmonica Town and my farm. But I wasn't looking where I was going. I heard Finn cry out sharply but not soon enough. I stepped on a wide patch of slippery ice and went wheeling, my arms shooting out to try and keep my balance. It wasn't enough. My feet came out from under me, and I toppled backward into the horribly cold water of the ocean.

The temperature snatched my breath away and numbed absolutely everything. It sapped what little energy I had left, and I couldn't even kick myself back towards the surface. I tried so hard to get back to the air, but I just couldn't. I was too tired.

My lungs began to burn for air, and I opened my mouth to try and scream before everything went black.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: I have two reasons for uploading two chapters today. 1. I haven't uploaded a chapter in a few days (or a week or something like that) and 2. the last chapter had a cliffhanger. I know I sometimes get annoyed at cliffhangers, and I'm sure other people do, too. Anyways, I don't own Harvest Moon, this story up through chapter 20 was written by HorseGirl784, and I hope you enjoy the chapter! :3  
><strong>

**Chapter 15**

**Wizard's PoV**

I shot straight up from the couch, clutching the back of it and breathing heavily. I could feel the chills spreading down my back and sensed the hammering of my heart. I looked around wildly; something was wrong.

Very wrong.

I got to my feet and shoved them into my boots, not entirely sure on what or where I was planning on doing or going. I just knew that inside my house was not where I should be. Pulses of magical distress were so strong and so near at this time that they had woken me from my nap. Never before, aside from when Cephia had discovered Ignis missing, had I felt some magical creature so distraught and scared. To be blunt, it frightened me a little. I glanced out the window into the streets below as I scrambled for my cloak, wondering if the signals were coming from inside Harmonica Town itself. The streets were bare of any life and illuminated by sparsely-placed streetlamps, but the waves of fear only grew stronger as the seconds ticked by.

I finally found my cloak and shoved it on as I hurried out into the cold winter night, looking around frantically again. If Cephia was in trouble, and I failed to help her, then Ignis would skin me alive when Molly summoned him.

I stumbled down the many concrete steps until I reached the cobblestone streets. Still, nobody was here. I could not see or hear anything, except the steady breathing of mortals tucked happily in bed. But the magical disturbances only grew stronger.

Suddenly, something rammed into the back of my head with so much force it sent me to my hands and knees. I caught myself on the ground before I face-planted, and I felt the sting of cold on my skinned palms. Rolling over, I came face-to-face with none other than Finn. As soon as I caught sight of his face, my heart stopped, and my blood turned to ice. His hat was gone, and his green hair was askew and tangled. His pale face was tear-stained, and his black eyes were wide with sorrow and fear. His mouth opened wide as he wailed loudly, making my eardrums vibrate uncomfortably. He recovered and hauled me to my feet, surprising me at how strong he was for such a tiny pixie. He began yanking me towards the docks. I was positive the magical pulses were coming from him, and that could only mean one thing.

Molly. Something had happened to her.

"M-molly!" Finn sobbed above the gusts of wind blowing over the water as we neared the docks, confirming my suspicions. I began running alongside him, terror taking over. "Sh-sh-she fell in w-when we came from the c-c-c-cave!" he wailed again as we reached the pier. Nobody was here. It was a late hour, and other than me, no one could hear the magical Sprite except for Cephia, and she was too far away. I glared at the dark water. Faintly, I could make out small ripples on the surface.

"How long ago?" I shouted over the noise of the wind as I began shedding my clothes. "If mere seconds ago, I might be able to revive her. If not, we are too late." Finn's wails increased in volume, and I choked almost inaudibly. The thought of Molly ceasing to exist made my chest contract painfully.

And the last thing I'd said to her face was that she was childish and to get out of my house.

"Not even a minute a-ago," the pixie stuttered. "B-but...why don't you just -"

"Summon her from the water?" I finished for him as I kicked off my shoes. "Moving water is extraordinarily difficult. Lifting a person out of it only makes it even more challenging. I could do it, but bending the molecules to my will would leave me weak enough that I may not be able to warm her up again." I would normally give him a more detailed explanation about how making water molecules obey your commands was difficult, seeing as the liquid was free-moving and hard to control, but we hadn't the time. I eyed the water with distaste as I stepped closer. I was not the largest fan of swimming. At least I could keep myself warm, even underwater.

Before I could somehow talk myself out of this, or somebody was to come along the docks and see me standing here shirtless and staring at the water with a half-crazed expression, I dove in.

The temperature of the water hit me like an icy wall, scattering my concentration so that it took me almost too long to summon my powers and heat myself back up internally. My hair billowed around me, and I scanned my pitch-black surroundings for any sign of Castanet's farmer. It was too dark to see anything, however. So I gathered power in my hand carefully, so that I could keep myself warm and light up my surroundings at the same time. With a quick wave of my hand, a bright yellow sphere appeared over my palm and illuminated the darkness around me. Fish scattered from the sudden light, startled, and I caught a glimpse of the wicked maw of a bull shark. I shuddered; I hated fish.

Molly was nowhere in sight, and I was running out of time. Her human body could not tolerate the temperature of this water for longer than a minute and a half. I began swimming around, holding out my hand to scare away the various sea creatures and looking for the body of the girl that everyone seemed to love. The seconds ticked by without success, and my lungs began to burn for air. I could not stay under for much longer. Magic had many uses, but unfortunately, they did not include breathing underwater. Otherwise, I could do this all night. That is if Molly had that much time left.

As a last resort, I dove to the bottom of the water, hoping against hope that she either would come floating down in front of me or that she was already here. My bi-colored eyes widened and relief so violent I nearly lost control of my powers crashed over me when I saw her limp body just settling into the sandy floor. I hurried toward her, my lungs about to burst from the need for oxygen, and scooped her up into my bare arms. Her eyes were closed, and her mouth was open. Her chest was still.

In panic, I shot towards the surface, kicking with such fervor I surprised myself. We broke through the surface, and I gasped and sucked in huge lung-fulls of air greedily as I swam towards the docks. Finn cheered when he saw his best friend, but it quickly turned to sobs when he caught a glimpse of her face. As I heaved her up onto the wood and pulled myself out of the water, I saw it too.

Her face was frighteningly pale, as if someone had sucked all color from her features. The only things that weren't stark-white were her lips, eyelids and fingertips; they were a gut-wrenching shade of blue. Her chest refused to move, and her eyes stayed closed and her mouth open. There was no sign of life coming from her at all. Placing my ear over her chest, I listened for a heartbeat.

There was nothing.

Defeat and grief so horrible that I had to clench my jaw took hold as I knelt there at midnight on the dock, my bare skin sizzling from the magic heat surging in my veins, with nothing but a corpse. Molly was gone...and I never got the chance to say I'm sorry.

"She's not gone!" Finn shrieked, hearing my thoughts and making me jump. I shook my head and let my hands come to rest on either side of Molly's face: her skin was cold and hard. Dead.

"No! No, she's not dead, she can't be!" he cried again, zipping in front of me and collapsing onto her still chest. "I won't let her die! It's not supposed to happen like th-this!" He clutched her soaking wet shirt in his tiny fists, curled into a ball, and sobbed relentlessly. I bowed my head and gathered the dead rancher into my arms, cradling her head against my bare chest. She didn't look peaceful like bodies were supposed to in death. She looked scared and horrified. And it was all my fault.

It was my fault she had gotten upset with me and left. It was my fault that I was too egotistical to make amends face-to-face and offer her my companionship again. It was my fault that she'd gone into the cave without me. And it was my fault that I wasn't there to protect her when she slipped. It was all my fault she was dead now, because I hadn't been quick enough to find her. I was the lowest, most miserable, most despicable excuse for a wizard that ever walked this earth.

I bowed my head and allowed it to rest against her cold neck. No pulse. I felt one hot tear trickle out from between my closed eyelids and drop onto her exposed skin. I clenched my jaw so tight my head ached and just held the corpse of the only hope of this island, wishing beyond anything and everything I had that I hadn't been so stupid. I felt hollow, the pain in my chest so horrible and unlike anything I'd ever experienced before, even when I witnessed Master's gruesome death.

Something soft began to reach my ears over the howling of the wind around us. Slowly, I lifted my face from Molly's stone-cold skin and looked around, searching for the source. My eyes widened when I saw Finn, floating just a few feet away from us. The noise was coming from him, and it began to get louder so I could discern what he was doing over the wind.

He was singing.

As he continued with his song, I realized it was something I'd never heard before, only read about. My breath caught in my throat, and I clutched Molly tighter to me as he continued with his song, the notes rising and falling in an eerie sounding tune that reminded me disturbingly of a dirge. He steadily grew louder, his melodic voice drowning out the roar of the gales around us. Finn began to glow, and the song picked up speed. He closed his eyes and sang louder still, the music lingering in the air long after it should have faded into oblivion. Hope sprang to life in my chest, and his glow brightened. I knew what he was doing, and I was vastly impressed that he had this much power to accomplish it.

Soon, Finn's glow was such a bright orange that I was surprised the light didn't break through the magical barriers that kept him concealed from mortals and wake up Paolo, Ozzie and Toby, whose fishery was mere yards away. He sang louder still, reaching notes that lasted such a long time I was astonished his tiny lungs could hold that much air. Finally, with a huge burst of magical heat and energy, the glow expanded from Finn and encompassed both me and the dead girl, surrounding us and engulfing us in the intense magical force. The heat didn't affect me, but I could feel it seeping into Molly, thawing out her icy skin.

Suddenly, Finn's song ended, and the light vanished. Molly was now warm and soft in my arms, all her color there in her face and not a speck of blue or death anywhere. I gazed up at Finn in awe, never realizing he had been bestowed enough power by the Goddess to perform the Revival, or even taught how.

Harvest Sprites are each specially created by the Harvest King, or Ignis. They each represent a different element, and are given a magical body to control and influence their assigned specialty. Very, very rarely is any Sprite deemed worthy to be given an incredibly rare and strong power as to perform a ritual known to us magical beings as the Revival. The name is self-explanatory; it has power over every kind of physical damage. It can reattach severed limbs, cure cancer and correct brain damage.

It can even give life to a corpse.

Never had I expected Molly's follower and guide to possess such power. It was extraordinarily difficult to control and harness, much less use. The fact that Finn had just brought Molly back from the dead proved just how much he was willing to give up for her, how much he loved her. I gazed at the tiny pixie, who was fluttering unsteadily in the air and gasping for breath. What I wouldn't give to know how to perform such a thing. But alas, I wasn't a Harvest Sprite. It was strictly for that species of magical creatures alone. I had my fortune telling, and Vivi had her cauldron. Cephia had her tree, and Ignis had his mountain.

Finn collapsed onto my shoulder, snoring so loudly it hurt my ears. I chuckled and glanced down at Molly, moving my hands to her shoulders and gripping them tightly. Relief so utterly huge I thought it would crush me flooded my mind as her mahogany eyes fluttered open and stared at my face. They went wide for a moment before the farm girl twisted out of my grip onto her side and vomited up buckets of sea water. I brushed the strands of hair off her face and kept the rest of her tresses out of the way as she retched into the ocean, but I couldn't be disgusted. She was alive.

Finally, there was no more water in Molly's system. She collapsed onto the dock, moaning and panting heavily. I laughed, so giddy with relief I could probably be deemed insane and pulled her to me again, crushing her to my form. I didn't care that she was soaking wet and freezing cold. Her clothes felt like ice against my bare skin, but I didn't mind at all. The feel of her chest rising and falling against mine made all those petty discomforts flee my mind.

"W-w-wizard," Molly stuttered, coughing again. "I'm c-c-cold."

I pulled away and leapt to my feet, striding over to the pile of my clothes on the edge of the dock. I picked them up-my shirt, cloak, socks and shoes-and hurried back over to her shivering form. Her brown eyes were half-closed with exhaustion as she wrapped her arms around herself. I knew the best thing for her at this point was to get her out of her wet clothes altogether, but I certainly was not going to be the one to do it. Irene or Anissa sounded good to me.

Molly looked back up at me as I approached, bleary eyed and breathing ragged. I had to get her to the clinic and out of the cold. Wrapping her up in my purple cloak, I shrugged into my black shirt and scooped her up again. She was incredibly weak; she didn't even protest my carrying her. She only shivered again and clenched my shirt in a vice-like grip and whispered, "Wh-wh-what happened t-t-t-t-o me?"

"...Finn," I murmured back, looking down at her and grinning, still on some strange high from her revival. "He saved...your life." I motioned with my head towards the little Sprite, who had somehow managed to secure himself to my shoulder as he slept. "I will let him… tell you… once you both have... recovered."

"D-d-did I get the pearl? Why am I w-w-wet?"

"I am fairly...certain you obtained...the black...pearl, yes. And as for why...you are wet: you...fell in the ocean when...exiting the cave. I fished...you out, and Finn..." I trailed off. "That is… a story for another...time. Right now, I need...you to stay awake until we...reach the clinic. I do not...trust you to...close your eyes on me again."

Molly let out a huge yawn, and her eyelids batted shut. I jostled her as I hurried down the street, telling her to stay awake for a few more moments. We were almost to the clinic, where Jin or someone similar could evaluate her. Hopefully Finn's Revival had chased off any effects of hypothermia.

"Almost...there," I said when the building came into view. Molly only nodded and yawned again, tightening her hold on my shirt and burying her face under her arm, into the folds of the cloak. All the lights were off in Choral Clinic, so I kicked at the door repeatedly until one of them flickered on, and a very disgruntled 'I'm coming!' sounded from within. Molly yawned again, and I shook her, trying to keep her awake for a few more minutes.

The door flew open to reveal Jin, bleary-eyed and pajama-clad. His stormy grey eyes widened when he saw us, Molly, soaking wet and wrapped in my coat and me, barefoot and hair dripping, outside in the winter. He thrust open the door and hurried to the examination room, and I followed in his wake. I couldn't help but let out a huge sigh of relief once he had her changed into something warm and deemed her perfectly healthy. I didn't explain all of what had happened, just that she had fallen into the ocean being klutzy, and I had pulled her out. I knew Finn was the real hero, though.

As Jin dimmed the lights and gave me a plastic chair by Molly's bedside, the farm girl turned to me and smiled softly. I smiled back and took her hand, not caring when my face heated up just a little. Molly chuckled once and said, "Guess what, Wizzy?"

"Hm?"

"You look really good without a shirt."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note #2: I would like to ask a question. Do you guys think I should change to rating to T? I got rid of any and all cussing, and there isn't anything inappropriate I don't think (besides the drunk scene). But it seems like a story aimed more at teens. Please review or message me and let me know.<strong>


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note: Hello again. 'Tis I, Jesusrosefromthedead, with another chapter. :) I do not own Harvest Moon (though it would be AWESOME if I did), and the chapters up to 20 were written by HorseGirl784 and edited by me. I hope you enjoy this chapter! :3**_  
><em>

_"Wh-wh-what happened t-t-t-t-o me?"_

_"...Finn," I murmured back, looking down at her and grinning, still on some strange high from her Revival. "He saved...your life."_

_"D-d-did I get the pearl? Why am I-I-I w-wet?"_

_"I am fairly...certain you obtained...the black...pearl, yes. And as for why...you are wet: you...fell in the ocean when...exiting the cave. I fished...you out and Finn..." I trailed off. She was alive._

**Chapter 16**

**Wizard's PoV**

Days passed. Molly was fully functional, as I knew she would be, but all of us - Finn, Jin, and myself - demanded she stay in the clinic for at least three days. Me, in particular; I spent almost the whole recovery period with her and Finn. The only break I took was to ring the blue bell for her. I'd commissioned Toby to catch the fish early the morning after her Revival, and she already had the duck egg from Chase and the black pearl. The windy day was no problem; I'm a wizard. Summoning winds may be difficult for someone of less caliber, but not for me.

Needless to say, the blue bell was rung, and the waters were calm and fit for sailing once again. Luck was with us both regarding the green bell, however. I already knew where it was. Centuries ago, as a stupid and irresponsible prank, Vivi had stolen it from Horn Ranch and kept it as a source of magic for her potions. The only problem was I hadn't heard from the witch ever since that night back on the beach, mere days before Molly arrived. Personally, I thought she was either a fly by now, or maybe something like a fish. That spell was far beyond her capabilities. It'd be sweet revenge to tell her 'I told you so' again.

Today was the last day of Molly's recovery, and a phone call had come through to her via the front desk. As it turned out, some of Molly's relatives were arriving. She had told me that initially they would not be here until the end of the season, but now the date of their voyage had been advanced due to some cancellations of previous trips. They would actually be arriving today, much to the farm girl's delight.

I sighed and glanced at the wall clock and away from my novel. It was almost noon, and Molly was happily chattering away with Finn from her bed. Suddenly, she turned to me and ceased talking to him. I glanced over at her, arching an eyebrow, and closed my book. If we wanted to make it to the docks in time to greet her cousins, we should be leaving fairly soon. I tried to voice these concerns to her, but she ignored me and sat cross-legged on the white sheets, mock-glaring and smiling at the same time. I groaned and glared back, waiting for her to say what was on her mind. We hadn't really talked about her Revival or anything similar since she had been in the clinic, mainly due to the always-hovering Irene. But now the infirmary was empty, the occupants gone to lunch.

"You know," she said, matter-of-factly. "I should be mad at you right now. But I can't, 'cause...well, you know. So out with it; why'd you yell at me last week?"

I sighed again and ran a hand through my hair. Truth be told, the reason was some-what simple. It had not been a good day for me. The first thing that happened when I woke up was to discover that I had left a window open during the night and it had snowed all over some of my most valuable tomes. I had burned the coffee while distracted with cleaning them off and in the process had completely forgotten it was Thursday until, lo and behold, Maya had shown up at my door, obnoxiously cheery and enthusiastic. My house had been a mess, I was only half-dressed (stupidly) when I answered the door, and I was tired from my late night with Molly.

To top it all off, Toby and Luke had come to ask about aforementioned farm girl and whether or not it was safe to ask her out.

I knew my thoughts and feelings regarding Molly were not purely based off of friendship anymore; I wasn't that dense. I saw her as more than just a business partner, a temporary friend that would disappear once they had gotten what they needed from me. The emotions were romantic in nature, and to say I was at loss as to what to do with them would be an understatement. I was terrified. I wasn't used to this kind of thing. I saw it in the villagers and gave them what I supposed to be good advice, but to begin to experience it myself was an entirely different story.

The island boys were not helping my case. Out of all of them, only four I could bear: Jin and Calvin, for they had both pursued different women, and Gill and Chase. Gill saw Molly as merely a pest; granted, at first, he had been attracted to her, but it was merely infatuation. Luna was thrilled, yet she still was not very friendly with the farm girl. Chase thought of her as a companion, a friend, and nothing more.

I realized Molly was still waiting for an answer to her question. Carefully, I constructed my answer before I spoke. I did not want to give anything away yet, even though I already knew of Molly's feelings for me, since I had read her heart for myself a couple times. I had no idea how to proceed with such things as this, so I had decided to wait until I was ready, or capable. Whichever came first. "I...It had not been...Well," I started, still attempting to word my response. Molly giggled as she watched me struggle for words. I breathed out loudly through my nose.

"My morning...had not been the best..." I muttered. "I was tired...and short-tempered. Snow...had already gotten...on some of my other books,...and I did not...want any more to be...ruined." I paused to smile crookedly. It wasn't entirely a lie, but not the whole truth, either. "Any other...place or time...might have enticed a...different response."

Molly smiled and bent over, smacking my knee. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it? If you had come and said that before, that woulda saved both of us _a lot _of trouble." She smiled wider and glanced at the clock, then out the window at the snow that was steadily falling. Wrinkling her nose and sighing, she slid out of bed and into her shoes and coat. "Angela's boat will be here in a minute," she grumbled, still glaring at the inoffensive precipitation. "I guess we better go freeze and wait for her." I stood from my chair and closed my book, shrugging into my own jacket and following Molly as she meandered out into the sunlight. Finn buzzed by her ear.

Molly still did not understand the dynamics behind her Revival, and I believed it to be better that way. She knew that her Sprite had saved her life, but not that she had been fully and completely dead, and what the price Finn had to pay was in order for her to live again. Even though exceptionally few Sprites are granted the power of the Revival, there were limitations. In order to protect the Sprites from growing too weak and to keep the human population under control, each creature could only perform the ritual once. Only one time. That may not seem such a high price to pay, but you must not forget that Sprites, like many magical beings, are immortal. Finn would never be able to save her again, should she need it, or anyone else he may come to care for.

I followed behind the duo in silence, brooding. Finn must have great love for Molly. I'd never seen such a relationship between human and immortal as theirs, and it was only friendship. Such things as that often ended in horrible emotional pain. We magical creatures tried to avoid humans as much as possible to keep those kinds of things from happening. Finn was too naive to really understand that someday soon, Molly would no longer be here, and there was nothing he could do about it. Even still, it was even more stupid of me to hang around Molly as much as I did. I knew the feelings stirring in me were not supposed to happen. I knew the consequences of such emotions in the long run. If I allowed this to continue, fifty years from now I would be heartbroken.

Yet I couldn't do anything about it.

I was addicted to Molly; her company, her smile, the feeling of companionship and the air of ease she gave me. For years I had been alone, for years I had remained in seclusion with nothing but the stars to comfort and guide me. For centuries I had isolated myself from anybody and everybody. Master's death left me alone and lost, even up until now. The pain, loss and guilt I felt with his passing used to eat away at me. Then Molly came, bringing her sunny smile, child-like innocence and powerful destinies to my doorstep, intriguing and enrapturing me. She was so simple yet impossible to understand, so young yet so wise, so endearing yet entirely unpredictable. So different yet so beautiful.

I was frustrated with myself for not knowing how to pursue her as a normal suitor, if I could ever be such a thing. It was selfish and irresponsible of me to want her for myself. I could not provide for her the way the other men of the island could. I could protect her better than some of them, maybe, but I could not support her financially, not that she really needed me to. She was independent and determined, and her farm blossomed because of it. Even still, I was the man, and it was my responsibility to provide her with someone to depend on. My talents brought no income, unlike Luke's or Toby's or Julius's or even Owen's.

Being with someone like me would bring us both pain. I was immortal, never changing or aging. She wasn't. She would wither away and turn to dust from the ground over time. She knew that, and I did too. Knowing that her death would leave me broken would hurt her terribly. I knew she hated it when I was in pain, thanks to my snooping. While such occasions were rare, they would be much more frequent should we decide to pursue a relationship. I did not love her, and she did not love me, but if we continued on the path we were on now, that would soon change. Things like that were not supposed to happen They weren't forbidden, yet it was stupid to let them occur. Yet here I was, knowing what was happening to the both of us and making no move to stop it. I didn't want to.

I _should _stop it, though. She deserved someone so much better than me. Luke was her in male form. He would always be with her, support her, be able to have children with her and to not worry about what they would become. Someone like her needed someone like him, not a wizard like me. It was horribly selfish of me to take away a future like that for her. It would hurt us both, yes, but the pain would fade over time, at least for her. She would move on to some human man, the way things should be. I could watch over her from afar, if need be, until she was dead and gone, and I could get on with my own life. That's how things should go. But I wasn't strong enough to let them be that way; for _so long _I had been alone and lost. Now that I had found my way out of the pit I'd dug for myself, there was no way I would let it go.

"WIZARD!" someone shouted, jerking me out of my melancholy thoughts. I jumped, persuading a laugh and smile from Molly, the whole reason I was brooding in the first place. "We're at the docks, Spacey. I didn't want you to walk off into the ocean or something." She skipped to my side and peered out over the foggy water, her brow furrowing as she looked for a ship. She squealed when she spotted a dark shape approaching slowly, tugging on my cloak sleeve and pointing. I nodded and shoved my hands in my pockets as Molly gushed about her cousins. "I haven't seen them in sooo long! Last time I hung out with Angie was at my going away party a few years ago, when I went to college!" She beamed up at me. "I'm so excited."

"I am happy...for you," I mumbled. "Just do not expect me...to cater to their antics...as I do...to yours." Molly laughed again, and I glanced down at her, smiling. Her cheeks and nose were rosy from the biting chill, yet she somehow glowed with even more energy than she had before her death. It sounded so weird to me, to think that she had indeed been dead. Yet here she was, smiling and bouncing with excitement.

The boat's horn sounded nearby, startling us both. Molly shifted her feet excitedly, latching on to my arm and squealing. The boat put down its ramp, and vaguely I heard arguing between a woman and a gruff sailor. Through the fog I could make out three fuzzy shapes, one of them distinctly smaller than the other two. The arguing ceased, and the three people disembarked from their boat. They stepped onto the snow-covered dock, and I got my first look at Molly's relatives.

Two men, one tall enough to look me in the eye and another, slightly shorter, were lugging several heavy-looking suitcases. The taller one, whom I could tell was several years older than the other, had plain brown hair and a cowlick shockingly similar to Molly's. He was lean and exuded a rather knowledgeable air. His eyes were chocolate brown and round, making him look slightly childish. The other man was the exact opposite; his brown hair was wild and untamed, and it fell almost to his shoulders. He had the same brown eyes as his brother, yet they were more angular. He was muscular and sported a cocky smirk. He struck me as someone who would get along rather well with Owen.

The woman, Angela, was shorter than both her brothers. Presently she was smacking the shorter boy upside the head for no reason that I could see. She was a subtly pretty woman, with short, cropped, dark brown hair that feathered out around her neck. She had the exact same eyes as the shorter man, and sharp features. From the way she had bantered with the sailor earlier and her abuse of her brother, I gathered she was someone that would fall in easily with Garmon Mine District people; she was tough.

"Kevin! Angela, Kasey!" Molly called, rushing forward and wrapping them all in a big hug. "Oh my goodness, it's so amazing to see you guys again! Oh," she gasped, tugging all three of them over to me somehow. The taller man chuckled at her enthusiasm deeply. "Guys, this is Wizard," Molly said, beaming at me again. "He's my best friend."

"Leave it to you to befriend the weirdo," Angela muttered, her chocolate gaze raking over me. I quirked an eyebrow at her, crossing my arms over my chest when she met my gaze again. "Don't say much, do ya?"

"No."

Angela snorted, and Molly smacked her arm. The shorter man laughed and slung an arm over the two girls' shoulders. He grinned widely, flashing his teeth, and said, "Excuse my sister." Angela elbowed him in the ribs, but he ignored her. "I'm Kasey, this she-devil's fraternal twin, and that guy over there being all anti-social is our brother Kevin. He's a nerd."

"Am not," Kevin muttered, shuffling his feet uncomfortably. He gave me a warm smile and stepped forward, offering his hand to shake. I took it, and he smiled wider. "Kevin Ross, at your service," he said. "And please do forgive my sister. She means no offense."

"None...taken," I said, letting go of his hand and shoving mine back in my pockets. Molly skipped forward, Angela in tow. "These two -" she pointed to the boys, "-are gonna be stayin' down the road from me, on the other farm by the river. Angela's with me, so I might be really busy for a few days showing her around. We'll get the green bell tomorrow, okay?" I nodded, and Angela looked back and forth between the two of us in confusion. She smirked and understanding dawned on her. She snickered when I groaned. Molly looked confused, but quickly shrugged it off. "Anyway, I'm actually not supposed to be out of bed right now, so I need to get back to the clinic. Wizard, can you show them to their houses? I don't want Jin to get upset and make me stay any longer."

"Who's Jin?" Angela demanded, and Molly chuckled. "The doctor. He's taken, Angie. Sorry."

"Dang."

I didn't like this Angela very much.

I sighed and conceded to Molly's request, knowing that Jin indeed would not appreciate her being out and about, especially in this weather. "Thanks, Wizzy!" Molly enthused, bounding back down the path towards Harmonica Town. Finn bid me goodbye as well, and I duly noted that none of the three Ross siblings seemed to notice him. Interesting. Gesturing for the group to follow me, I set off down the path towards Molly's farm, eager to get Angela dropped off first. Her standoffish and patronizing attitude irked me. Kevin I liked the best; he was quiet. He played the older brother role quite well.

"So," Kasey said, jogging to catch up to me. "Wizard, huh? Is that seriously your name, or are you just, like, a wannabe Harry Potter?"

"...No," I said quietly. "It is...neither...my name, nor...am I a fake. My...powers are...quite real." Kasey nodded and said nothing more as we continued down the path. Kevin and Angela were arguing about something a few feet behind me, but I paid them no mind. I had other things to worry about. Tomorrow, Molly and I would ring the green bell. It was inevitable that Vivi would regain her true form, and no doubt she'd go nuclear on me for leaving her to remain as whatever creature she had turned herself into.

Oh, joy.


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: ...I had this chapter uploaded on the 11th or something like that, and apparently failed to actually put it in the actual story. EPIC FAIL. I'm sorry. I thought I put it up, but apparently not. PLEASE FORGIVE ME! Anyway, you know the drill. I don't own Harvest Moon, no matter how much I wish I did, and the first 20 chapters of this fanfic were written by the amazing HorseGirl784. I edited them a bit, though. Anyway, hope you enjoy! :3**_  
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_I had other things to worry about. Tomorrow, Molly and I would ring the green bell. It was inevitable that Vivi would regain her true form, and no doubt she'd go nuclear on me for leaving her to remain as whatever creature she had turned herself into._

_Oh, joy._

**Chapter 17**

**Molly's PoV**

Finally, _finally, _Jin allowed me go home on Monday, winter twelfth. I just about skipped the whole way home that morning on cloud nine. I'd be getting the fourth bell today, and Angela had finally arrived. It was already pretty obvious that she annoyed Wizard, but I think that he'd get along alright with Kevin. Kasey would probably just want to see magic tricks, but otherwise just leave him alone all together. I was so excited to have them here that I couldn't stop giggling like a schoolgirl.

I beamed as I opened the creaky door to my house, newly upgraded to make room for my cousin. She was asleep on a small, twin-sized bed not far from my own queen-sized one. She snored delicately, and I silently shuffled over to her sleeping form. She looked so different when she was asleep; that little crease between her chocolate-brown eyebrows was gone and her whole face relaxed, losing the hard expression she usually wore. Angela really wasn't a jerk, she just wanted people to think she was. I loved her like a sister.

Glancing at the clock and noting that it was a little after seven, I shook her shoulder roughly, saying, "Angela. It's time to get up." She stirred a little and swatted my hands away, mumbling something that sounded like 'ten more minutes'. I shook her again, and she cracked open one eye and glared at me evilly. "Good morning, sunshine!" I said. She continued to glare as I got up from my perch, rummaging around in her suitcase for suitable farming clothes. I pulled out a green, tunic-style shirt, some sturdy jeans, a pair of faux fur boots and a cozy jacket. I tossed them to her as she sat up and yawned. "We'll find a place for your stuff later on. Get dressed so we can do our chores, and then we'll go to the Inn for breakfast. Then, if you want, I can show you and your brothers around town. I have to meet Wizard at two this afternoon, so we've got plenty of time."

Angela yawned hugely and nodded, mind too foggy to really argue. I waited patiently as she threw on the clothes I gave her. "I don't have crops this season, so you're stuck with helping me with the animals."

"Lovely," she grunted as she shoved on her boots. "How many do you have?"

"Not too many," I said thoughtfully, rinsing off my milker in the sink, "just a cow, her calf, a sheep and three hens. I'm going shopping for more today, though. I really want a horse and maybe a goat. And I think Tilly's lonely."

"Tilly?"

"The sheep." I turned away from the sink and grabbed a dish towel. "Horn Ranch has some really good-looking rams, so I'll take a look at those, too. You don't have to come if you don't want to, though. You can hang out with Kevin and Kasey some, or go to Town Hall and get a run-down of festivals and things from Mayor Hamilton. The bar opens at four, too, so if you want to go there while I'm out with Wizard, be my guest. I think you and Kathy would get along pretty well."

We walked outside into the winter morning. It wasn't as cold as it had been as of late, which was a plus. My ears didn't freeze instantly, and my nose wasn't the temperature inside my fridge. Angela gazed around my little plot of land with interest, eyeing my small windmill, snow-covered coffee, orange and peach trees, and the frozen-over pond towards the narrow mountain path. "Is that pond stocked?"

"Mm-hm," I mumbled absently as I pushed open the barn doors. Tilly rushed forward, bleating happily. "Hey girl!" I enthused, wrapping my arms around her neck as I got down on my knees. "Did you miss me? I missed you guys! Who took care of you? I don't remember anybody ever offering."

"There was a guy with blue hair leaving when Wizard dropped me off yesterday. Dunno his name or how he knew you needed help, but he was here. Oh, and some girl with purple hair was here with him, too." I laughed at that, brushing aside the annoyance that that little tidbit brought. I stood up and began rummaging around in my belt for the tools we needed. I have no idea how it managed to hold everything that I needed and still remain light as a feather, but it did. I wasn't complaining.

I took out the brush and milker, handing Angela the former. "Here. See that little calf over there?" I pointed to Roscoe, Bellie's new little boy calf. "He's a real sweetheart. Rub his ears, tell him hi, and brush him head to hoof. I'll milk his mama and Tilly, and then we can take care of the chickens. They're pretty easy, too, so we won't have to stick around long."

"I didn't know sheep could be milked," Angela said, staring at Tilly questioningly. "That's really...weird. Who would drink sheep milk? Ew." I shrugged. I wasn't really sure either.

We worked in silence for a while before my cousin broke it with a question. "So what exactly happened to you that you needed to stay in the hospital?"

I froze for a moment, not really sure what to tell her. She couldn't see Finn, so I couldn't tell her that he performed a thingy called a Revival on me. So I just went with the simplest explanation. "Um...I was clumsy and slipped on some ice. I fell in the ocean, and Wizard...happened to see me fall and pulled me out. He made me stay with Jin to make sure I was healthy before I got back to work. They both worry too much." I tried to sound nonchalant, but in truth, I was in awe. I never knew that Wizard would do something like that for me. And Finn, too; how indescribably wonderful of the two. It really made me want to give them both a bear hug so tight they couldn't breathe.

"You _what?_" Angela yelled, whirling away from Bellie, who'd she'd been brushing. "You fell in the _ocean? _At _this _time of year_? _Molly, you could have _died! _Do you know how lucky you are that Wizard saw you? What would I have done if he hadn't, huh? You've got to be more careful! You're my only cousin, and I don't want you to die just 'cause you're a klutz! Really, how did you manage -"

I held up my hands to interrupt. "Alright, alright! I get it, okay? I'm sorry. It's just who I am. And besides, I didn't die, so there's no need to get worked up about the 'what-ifs'. Now c'mon," I shoved my milker back into my belt, "I'm hungry, and I know you are, too. Let's feed the hens and go get some grub. Yolanda's the _best _cook! Chase is pretty good, too, but -"

"WAIT!" Angela interrupted loudly, dropping her brush and rushing forward, grabbing a hold of my shoulders and shaking me. "Did you just say _Chase? _As in, Chase Chihaya? Orange-peachy hair, purple eyes, hair-pins, all kinds of cute?" (**HorseGirl784's Note - I love Chase's Japanese name too much not to use it XD**) I nodded, a little scared by her sudden outburst and rapid switch of moods. Angela's lips began to spread into an evil smirk, and a creepy glint in her eyes sparked. "Oh-ho, I know that guy. I met him in my first year of culinary school. He was my age but was already almost finished. Once I skipped ahead up to his level, we had to compete against each other for valedictorian. I won." She ignored my gasp. I knew Angela was a great cook, but_ better-than-Chase_ great? "The look on his face was priceless, but I never got the chance to rub it in. He left the school, saying he'd been contacted by some childhood friends who offered a job. I guess this is where he went. Now I finally get to celebrate my victory. Just two years late."

I shook my head. Who knew that Angela already had connections in Castanet? Whether or not they were good ones, though, was the question. She was still smiling like a maniac, and I could tell she was brewing up a plan to torture the poor boy. "Ang, I know what you're thinking. Leave the guy alone, alright? A little teasing is okay, I guess, he needs some holes poked in his ego, but don't overdo it. He's my friend." She nodded, but I knew that she would do what she wanted, even if I didn't approve. Now I know how Kevin feels.

I was scared for Chase.

Angela's creepy smile only grew wider as we made our way down to the Ocarina Inn. We had stopped by Kevin and Kasey's place, woken them up rather unceremoniously, told them to get their lazy butts in gear, and meandered back down to town. My cousin was seriously excited about seeing Chase again, and I hoped she would spare the poor man of too much agony.

We walked up a small flight of steps to the inn, pushing open the door and listening to the tinkling of the bell overhead. Inside, it was warm and cozy. A small fire flickered in a stone fireplace, and Maya was bustling about happily, arms laden with bowls and plates and stuff like that. Jake was behind the counter, beaming at everyone. The place was packed; tourists of every shape, size and color filled the tables, chattering and adding a hum of conversation to the atmosphere. I spotted Gill in a far corner, eating something most likely tomato-flavored (he had a pretty big fetish for the things) and poring over some documents. How boring. I heard Yolanda yell for Maya a couple times as we tried to find a seat.

"Wow," I breathed once we finally wedged ourselves into a small booth. "This place is jam full! I've never seen it this crowded before." Maya bounced over then, handing us our menus.

"Oh, hi!" she chirped, noticing the unfamiliar face of Angela. "You're new, aren't ya? I'm Maya, the one and only waitress here at the inn. My parents are the owners, and Yolanda's my grandma, too, so I'm here all the time if you ever wanna hang out!" Angela waved a hand at her dismissively, her chocolate-brown eyes glued to her menu. The little waitress puffed out her cheeks and turned on her heel, not even asking us for our drink orders. Geez. Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.

"What do you recommend?" my cousin asked, eyes never leaving the menu. "Pancakes, French toast or farmer's breakfast?"

"French toast," I answered immediately, waving frantically to try and get Maya's attention again above the noise and jostling of the crowd. "And ask them to heat up your syrup for it, too. It's soooo much better that way." I finally managed to get our server to notice us, and she walked over again, scribbled down our orders quickly, and left just as fast as she came. Guess she was pretty busy, what with all the people here.

We heard the door open again since we were sitting kinda close to it, and we turned to find Chase striding in, shaking snow out of his peach-colored hair. Ah, I forgot. He came and observed Yolanda in the morning to learn more stuff about cooking, not that he really needed it. When he saw us, he froze in the doorway, his violet eyes going wide as dinner plates when Angela smirked hugely.

"Oh no," he moaned. "Please, _please_ let this be an awful nightmare." Angela snickered, her eyes narrowing to slits as she stared at him. Chase's face was pretty funny, I must admit; kinda flushed from embarrassment, eyes flickering everywhere for a possible escape route, mouth ajar. I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing myself. Chase's eyes flashed back and forth between our faces, confusion and blatant annoyance sparking in them. "How do you know that she-devil?" he demanded.

"That _she-devil_," I quipped, eyes narrowing in irritation, "is my cousin."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded, stupidly stalking over to glare down at us. "I would have packed up and moved had I known you were gonna bring _that _-" he jabbed his finger in my cousin's face, as she eyed it, looking as if she was contemplating biting it, "- to Castanet. WHY would you do this to me, Molly?"

"Awww," Angela cooed, and Chase whirled to face her. His eyebrow twitched. "Is Chasey-poo bitter? You should let it go, Le Chef. It was two years ago that you _lost _to a _girl._"

"It was rigged!" the cook roared. "My meringue was a thousand times better than yours!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"GUYS!" I yelled. They were causing a scene. Heads were turning to stare at the two adults, although you wouldn't be able to tell such a thing from their argument. "Go somewhere else, if you're gonna fight like little kids. Chase, we want some French toast. Either get to work or take my cousin somewhere else and continue your stupid bickering. Angela, leave him alone. Just because your cooking was better -"

"IT WAS NOT!"

"SHUT UP, CHASE! Ang, leave him be. You can argue later or whatever. I'm on a tight schedule." The door opened again for the umpteenth time, and Kasey came in, followed by the tall form of Kevin. Everybody was staring at this point, and the two boys froze. "Arg..." I groaned. "Not even twenty-four hours in, and you manage to cause chaos, Angela." I patted the seat next to me, looking at her brothers. "Can you guys come eat with her and make sure to keep these two far, far away from each other?" They nodded, sliding into the booth. "I need to get going. It's almost eleven, and I need to get some shopping done. Tell Maya hey for me, someone, will ya?" Kevin nodded.

"She's the young woman waiting tables, correct?"

"Yeah." I hurried up to the counter, snagged an apple that was sitting in a fruit bowl, dropped some bills in its place, and rushed out the door. "Be good!" I called over my shoulder, and the last thing I saw before the door swung shut was the intense glaring battle between Chase and Angela. Oh goodness. Either they'd end up strangling each other or married. In between was not an option, I could already tell. My money was on the murder.

I made my way through town, whistling as I went. I had a few more hours before I needed to go see Wizard, so I was gonna go see what animals Horn Ranch had for sale. I really wanted a horse and a goat, and I think Tilly was ready to be a mom. They might have some ducks, too. Ugh, this is gonna be expensive. I would need to upgrade both my barn and coop soon, and my house was already at level two...

I continued to think about expenses and stuff until I bumped into someone really hard. Glancing up, I saw Owen with his big goofy grin slung across his rugged face. "Hey, Molls," he rumbled. "Where ya headed?"

"Horn Ranch," I answered promptly, stepping around him and heading back down the path. "I want some new animals, so I thought I'd go take a look at what they've got. You know anything about horses?"

"Psh," he snorted, speed-walking to catch up. "Kathy and I used to race them all the time. I'm, like, a horse expert or something. Why? You need help?" I nodded, waving him over. "Cool. I'll help ya pick one out then."

"Thanks, Cain! Thank you, Renee!" I called as Owen clipped two halters onto my new animals. One was a small white foal with a black mane and tail that I'd named Polo. Owen recommended him, saying he would be good for riding later once he was broken in. He was a really sweet little thing. The other was a tiny black baby goat. I'd named her Fawn. Technically, I wasn't supposed to have her since my barn wasn't level two yet, but Cain had said I could keep her anyway since I had a good reputation around town. They were both positively adorable in their little mini black-and-white halters.

I glanced at my watch and yelped; almost two thirty. I was really, really late. "Oh my gosh, Owen, I'm super late! I'm supposed to be meeting Wizard today at two!"

"Meeting...Wizard?" he asked, his eyes narrowing. I ignored that, though; of course he'd be irritated that I was dumping him with my animals. "I'm really sorry, but I gotta get going!" I rummaged around in my belt for a moment before pulling out what was going to be my lunch, a boiled egg, along with some honey. "Here," I handed him the gifts. "The egg's for you, since you helped me out. And the honey's for Luke. He took care of my farm for me for a few days. I'm so sorry I'm just gonna ditch you and give you all these errands, but can you take them back to my place and give that to Luke for me please?" Owen nodded, his face noticeably brighter with the gifts. "Thanks a bunch, Owen! You're the best!" I gave him a quick hug before sprinting back towards town. It was a long run, but I had a lot of stamina.

I rushed up the stairs once I finally made it back to Harmonica Town and skidded to a stop outside Wizard's place. The magic man was already outside, tapping his foot impatiently. He quirked an eyebrow at me, his lips pressing into a thin line in irritation. "I'm...so sorry!" I wheezed. "I was...out shopping with...Owen, and time...just got away from me..." I braced my hands on my knees, exhausted, and panted for a moment or two as I caught my breath. "I'm really super-duper extremely sorry!"

"It is...fine," he mumbled, walking forward and down the stairs. "I understand...your priorities. Now," he paused as he waited for me to catch up, "we need...to walk through the Fugue...Forest. Watch the ice...this time." I smiled sheepishly as I followed him out of town. He was going kind of fast. I guess he just really wanted to get this over with. I knew he didn't like the Witch very much from what he'd said about her in our normal conversations, and he'd told me that he'd have to change her back in order to get the green bell. I wondered what she would look like. Would she be an old hag with green skin and warts and a beak-nose? Or would she be like the Witch Princess on Chelsea's island? My best friend had told me in one of her phone calls that the witch there was really pretty with curly blonde hair and red eyes.

Wizard stopped just outside the line of trees, the entrance to the forest. I gulped nervously. I never went in here unless I had to, and I always brought Luke with me. I felt safer with him and his trusty axe. The forest really gave me the creeps. I swear I've seen eyes staring at me before. Subconsciously, I walked a little closer to Wizard as we began making our way through the labyrinth of trees. I missed Finn immensely; I told him to take the day off of helping me and spend some time with Alan, Collin and Ben.

"Wizard?" I asked to break the silence. He turned to look at me, his one gold eye and one green one peering at me from between his ashy-blonde strands of hair. "Why do you hate the witch? Is she evil?" I was growing more nervous by the minute. What if she turned me into a toad? I didn't want to be a toad!

The magician snorted, and I stared up at him in surprise as we kept walking. "She is...the loudest, most obnoxious...creature I have ever...had the displeasure of...knowing. She is not evil...in a sense...but she pulls stupid...pranks and cannot keep...control of her own...powers. We studied...together under our Master...before we settled here. We...have a rough past."

"Why?" I asked, just to keep him talking and to distract myself. I inched closer, scared of the intense darkness of the trees around us. "What happened?"

Wizard was silent for a long time, and I glanced up at him. He was staring straight ahead, his jaw clenched and his hands in fists. I touched his arm, trying to soothe his sudden anger. "You don't have to tell me. I'm just really curious..." I trailed off, not wanting to admit that his voice kinda calmed me down, too. How cheesy.

He let out a gusty sigh as he stepped over a fallen trunk. "I...would like to tell...you," he admitted. "But...it is not a pleasant...story. And it's…rather long."

"We've got time," I pointed out, waving at the trees around us. "It's a big forest. It's gonna take a while to get...wherever we're going."

He paused again, and I guessed he was gathering his thoughts. We continued walking, passing a small swamp. Something moved beneath the surface, and I sucked in a sharp breath. I really hated the forest.

I guess the fear was showing on my face, because Wizard cautiously put one hand on the small of my back and guided me forward as he began his tale. "Like I said, we...studied together for a...number of years under our teacher,...whom we called Master. Back...in those days, magic...was strictly forbidden. It...was considered evil, due...to some reckless spells...of our ancestors. Those born...with magic blood had...to study in secret. My...parents had to give...me up when they...discovered my abilities. It...was too dangerous...for me to remain in their...care."

"Wow," I breathed. "I'm really sorry, Wizard. That must have been awful." I couldn't imagine life without my parents; they were amazing. They funded my college tuition and gave me a roof over my head and food in my belly for eighteen years straight with no complaints. It must have been terrible to be taken from them.

He shrugged. "It was very long ago. I...do not even remember...their names. My Master...and his other student,...the witch, were my...family. They were all I knew...or needed. And that...is what got us in...trouble." He paused, his eyes darkening. His arm stiffened around me, and I wondered if he even remembered that it was there. "I...do not know...how it happened, but...someone discovered Master's...abilities. The witch...and I were not...present when he was found...out. We had...gone to search for ingredients...for our training. We...came back, and...our rooms had been ransacked. Master...was nowhere to be found,...and there was a notice on...his desk, saying he had been...arrested and was sentenced...to execution. Without a trial." I gasped, my heart wrenching. How absolutely horrible! I slowly wrapped one arm around Wizard's back in comfort, hoping he wouldn't mind. He didn't even seem to notice as he continued.

"The town we were...residing in gathered the next...day to witness the death. To...them, it was sport, a spectacle. We...were forced to attend, for...we could not afford to...be missed and questioned as to...our odd behavior. The method..." he sucked in a shaky breath, and my eyes began to sting, "...was burning at the stake. I...I still cannot forget it. I...have nightmares even to this day." He paused, collecting himself. The stinging in my eyes grew worse as I watched the pain on his face. I couldn't even begin to imagine what it must have been like. I hurt for Wizard.

"Witch was beyond distraught. She blamed me...for his death. She cursed me...and lashed out with...her magic and potions, trying...to hurt me. We had never...gotten along, but his death...forced us apart, to be...enemies. I do not mind. It...means she leaves me alone." He stopped suddenly, and I noticed that we were outside a stone cottage with a pink roof. It looked like something out of a fairytale. Smoke was snaking out of the chimney, and ivy climbed up the pale grey walls. It didn't look like somewhere an ugly, evil Witch would live.

I turned to Wizard, ending our sort-of embrace. "It's not your fault," I told him sternly. "It couldn't have been. You didn't have any idea that they would do a sweep or whatever may have happened. She's a jerk for saying something like that! You're the kindest man I know, Wizard. You could never be blamed for something so atrocious." He shook his head, cracking a small smile, but the pain didn't leave his eyes. I hadn't even met the witch yet, and I already detested her. How could she blame something so horrible on Wizard, who seriously was the kindest, most considerate and gentlemanly guy I've ever met? Those were some of the reasons why I really liked him.

"We can...talk about this some other...time," he said as he strode forward, placing a hand on the brass doorknob. "For now,...we must focus on...reversing Witch's spell." He pushed open the door and stepped inside, and I cautiously followed. It was unremarkable, except for the big iron cauldron in the corner. Grey carpet, beige walls, a pink bed and a few bookshelves. But there, sitting on a wooden table, was a giant pink frog, wearing a witch's hat.

What the heck?

It was silent for a moment as the frog glared at us, boring a hole in Wizard's face, as if daring him to mock it. For a second, nothing happened. Then, Wizard burst into huge guffaws, laughing so heartily that I could only stare in shock. I'd never heard him laugh like this before; it was something else. He doubled over, clutching his stomach as the gales continued to erupt from him. The frog - who I guessed was the witch - was glowering at him so blackly that he'd be dead three times over if looks could kill. I wondered what was so funny.

He finally managed to pull himself together, wiping an imaginary tear from his eyes. He strode forward, smirking hugely and bent to look the frog in the face. "Ah, Vivi," he chortled. Vivi? "Did I not tell you? I think I did." The frog croaked loudly, glaring harshly at him. He only laughed at it. "I think an 'I told you so' is in order, yes?" The frog did nothing. Wizard rolled his eyes. "No matter. Molly," he said, suddenly remembering me. I raised an eyebrow. "You might want to...stay out of...the way."

I huffed, irritated, and stalked over to the bed to watch. I was annoyed; how come _I _couldn't make him laugh like that? How come he stammered with _me? _I was his closest friend, and yet he could speak just fine to his worst enemy. Not fair, I tell you.

Wizard began to chant, closing his eyes. I watched in stony silence as the room darkened and a breeze suddenly picked up. Weird. Then, with a bright flash of purple light, it was over. The frog was gone, and in its place was a tall, absolutely stunning woman. Her hair was long and gleamed a beautiful sliver. She had vibrant orange eyes and perfect skin. I was instantly jealous. She had on a corset-style black shirt and pinstripe shorts, with long stockings and buckled black shoes. She was very beautiful. Anything but the green-skinned, warty hag I had been expecting.

Then she spoke. Well, yelled.

"_WHAT THE HECK TOOK YOU SO LONG? !" _she screeched, her voice smooth and melodic, even when she screamed. So not fair. Even still, I gasped at her temper and ungratefulness. Wizard was totally unfazed as she continued to rail at him, though. "I had to eat _BUGS!_ Bugs, you jerk! What were you gonna do, leave me here 'till I hopped into town in all my slimy glory? You _suck, _Wizard!" He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, not answering. The witch suddenly rounded on me. I glared defiantly at her, shocked and totally infuriated by her treatment of Wizard. How completely ungrateful and just downright insulting! I despised her even more. "And _you,_" she sneered, stalking over and poking me in the chest. I snarled back, not at all intimidated by the jerk-face. "You DARE bring that pitiful excuse for a wizard to MY house!"

"Get over it!" I yelled back, clenching my fists at my side. "He changed you back! Why are you yelling at everyone? You, _Witch_, should be grateful to him! He was being nice! He didn't even have to come, so suck it up and get over yourself!" I glared at her, beyond furious. Who does she think she is? I glanced at Wizard, then had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing at the utterly shocked look on his face. Both his eyes were wide, and his mouth was hanging open a little. On anyone else, it may have looked ridiculous, but on him...well, it was really cute.

An entirely new expression crossed Witch's face, replacing her look of anger to one of absolute fury. She slowly turned to Wizard. "Why -" she hissed through her teeth, jabbing a finger in my face, "- did she just think what she did? That you were _cute?_"

Oh. My. Goodness. This is NOT happening.

I gasped, shocked. Witch...she just read my mind. My _mind, _people! I stalked up to her, grabbing her shoulder and spinning her to face me. I was beyond mortified that she had just blurted what I was thinking to Wizard, but there was only one question that I could think of through the shock and embarrassment. It came out kind of choked as I asked her. "You...you guys can read minds?" My palms were sweaty. I was so upset even before her answer with what she had told him, but when she told me, I lost it.

"Well, duh, human. All immortals can."

I flipped out. I won't deny it. I was livid and so embarrassed; there are no words to describe it. Rounding on Wizard, who had 'Oh, crap' written all over his face, I blew up.

"You _KNEW? !_" I shrieked. He tried to interrupt, but I plowed on. "You were reading my mind this WHOLE TIME, and you didn't say anything? You heard what I thought and kept me around? You...You knew I liked you! You did, and you led me_ ON!" _I was so angry and hurt and just downright humiliated that tears started to well up in my eyes. "Here I thought you were such a gentlemen, Wizard! But, oh yeah, you knew that already!" I stalked over to one of the Witch's bookshelves and snatched off the bell that I had spotted when we got here. "I don't _ever _want to speak to you again," I snarled up at him. "Just leave me alone." And I fled the house, bell in hand, as the tears spilled over. My face burned with anger and embarrassment so terrible I couldn't think straight. How dare he! How _dare _that stupid man, knowing what I was thinking but not saying anything and...and...and just being my friend and leading me on, making me think that maybe we had a shot. As a couple. If he felt the same, then he woulda said something by now.

Stupid.

Footsteps pounding through the snow reached my ears, and I picked up my pace, trying to distance myself from whoever it was that was chasing me. Probably Wizard, coming to humiliate me more. I clenched the bell in my hands and looked for a place to hide when I heard him gaining on me. I dove behind a thick tree, trying to stop my gasps. Stupid lungs, needing air to live. Gosh.

He found me, stepping around the tree and grabbing my wrists in his hands. I tried to wrestle out of his grip, dropping the bell and backing away. He wasn't having that. He tightened his grip, his hands wandering up to grip my upper arms. "Listen to me!" he roared. I shook my head violently, still trying to wriggle free. I thought bad things at him, hoping he'd hear them and leave me alone. But he did something completely out of character and unexpected.

Taking my face in his hands almost roughly, he kissed me.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note #2: :O Bet you didn't see THAT coming. Unless you've already read it... Oh well.<strong>** See you later! :)**


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note: I'm sorry. I have no excuse. And this chapter is short, so I'm doubly sorry... PLEASE FORGIVE ME! Anyway, you know the drill. I don't own Harvest Moon (no matter how it pains me to admit this), and the chapters up through chapter 20 were written by HorseGirl784. *Gasp!* I'm going to have to start writing myself soon! :O Anyway, I hope you enjoy this (short) chapter! :3  
><strong>

**Chapter 18**

**Molly's PoV**

_Oh my Goodness, he's kissing me. Goodness, he's really kissing me. He's kissing me! WIZARD is KISSING ME!_

That was the only thing that I could think. Nothing else even had a chance of crossing my mind through the thick, hazy fog of confusion, anger, and the newest feeling: joy. Of course I was ecstatic he kissed me! Almost unthinkingly, I clutched his cloak in my fists and pulled him closer. I didn't have even the slightest control over myself anymore; my thoughts were everywhere, and my muscles seemed to be moving on their own accord.

Suddenly, Wizard yanked backward, stumbling over himself. His eyes were wide, and his mouth gaped as if he couldn't believe he had just done what he did. Anger so hot and forceful it took everything I had not to blacken both his eyes swamped me when I realized why. He was reading my mind again, and that whole thing was just something to get me to stop running away. It meant nothing to him. It was just a direct reflection of what I had been thinking.

"Molly..." he gasped, "…I did not mean to. I am -"

"Save it," I hissed at him, plucking the bell from the snow at my feet. "I don't need your stupid excuses. Did it ever cross your mind that I _wanted _you to kiss me? Oh, wait, it did, 'cause you've read my mind!" I was so angry my hands were shaking, making the little gong thing inside the bell tap against the inside. "Don't mess with a girl that way, Wizard. It gets you absolutely _nowhere._"

His face was conflicted. Really conflicted. His stepped forward and put his hands on my shoulders, kind of bending his knees to look me in the eye. I didn't struggle, coming dangerously close to dropping the bell and slugging him. "I swear to you," he breathed, and the smell of his breath - mint mixed with the richness of coffee beans - made my thoughts scatter again, much to my frustration. Did he know that he was making it really, really hard to be furious with him? "That...I have never read your...mind. Ever." He leaned even closer, as if he knew that I had no hope of responding. "And I never...will."

I tried to gather my thoughts. Slowly, I managed to make a somewhat coherent response. I was so drained from all the anger and humiliation that it was hard not to just slide back against the tree and relax. "O-Okay, so...you n-never knew what I w-was thinking?" Wizard shook his head. "Oh." I looked at my feet now, my face burning. So...he hadn't read my mind at all? He never knew I liked him? So that means...

He wanted to kiss me, too?

"So...wait," I said, still a bit befuddled 'cause he was still really close. "If you never read my mind...then you never knew that I liked you? You know...as more than a friend or something?" I wasn't very good at this. At all. I'd never had experience with guys before. I'm very picky about which ones I hang out with and potentially like. He was the first one that had really captured my interest so completely. Another thought crossed my mind, shortly following. He was my first kiss. Wizard was my very first kiss. The thought made warmth blossom in my chest and my heart stutter a bit. A huge grin threatened to spring up on my face, but I made sure to keep it carefully under control. There was still so much unexplained stuff going on here.

Wizard hesitated for just a fraction of a second. "No," he said. "I never knew. But I..." his face darkened in color, and this time, I _did _grin up at him. He slowly removed his hands and looked at his feet, shuffling back and forth. It was so adorable, how flustered he was. It made me want to hug him so tight he couldn't breathe. Or maybe even kiss him again.

"You liiiiike me!" I sang, putting the green bell back down and clapping my hands. "You do! If you didn't, you wouldn't have kissed me like you did!" I ran forward, engulfing him in a huge bear hug. But then a new thought occurred to me; he said he hadn't meant to kiss me. What did that mean?

I didn't let defeat crush me, however. It could be a really simple explanation, like...like he didn't want to scare me or something. I pulled back a little to look up at him. He was staring straight over my head, and I would have found that very offensive had he not had one arm around my waist and his face not been three shades darker than normal. I fought off the almost uncontrollable urge to giggle at his adorable cluelessness.

"Wizard?" I asked to get his attention. He looked down at me, his face frustratingly unreadable. Like always. "You said before that you 'didn't mean to'. Why? What do you mean by that?" I was fervently hoping it wasn't something like he wasn't ready, or that it could never work...or...or...My mind started to go into overdrive. What if he pushed me away and said that this wasn't possible? I fought to keep my panic locked inside and my face cheerful. Hopefully he'd keep his promise and stay out of my head. I'd had enough embarrassment today to last me a lifetime. I made a mental note to myself to sic Angela on Witch. I despised the beautiful silver-haired woman.

The magic man took a little while to answer, his bi-colored eyes reading my face carefully. "You cannot forget that I...am immortal," he said quietly. I nodded, not seeing a problem. "Molly, should we pursue...a relationship that lasts for...as long as _you _live..." He took a deep breath. "I will continue to exist...once you have died. It...is highly advised against in...the immortal world to become close...to humans. The pain once they pass...is often too great to handle. Many...go mad from loss." He moved one hand up to caress my cheek. "It is not sensible...for us to be together...in the way we both...want."

My heart dropped to the soles of my feet. He was right. I hated seeing him in pain. I knew that if we did get together and ended up staying a couple, then once I died, he would be utterly destroyed. Wizard was a man of few passions, but once he got attached to something - like coffee and stargazing - he didn't let go very easily if ever. Was I really so selfish as to put him through that, just to make myself happy? I didn't know.

One question was burning on my lips. My voice quivered a little as I asked, "Is there no way to...to change me? To make me immortal, too?" There had to be a way. He became immortal through magic, and so had the witch. There must be another way, and if not, I would make him teach me. I could learn, right? And I must have a little bit of magic blood since I could see Finn and stuff when nobody else could, except for the immortals. That had to count for something, right?

Wizard was silent again. I got the feeling that whatever the answer was, he didn't want me to know. I nudged him, and he sighed heavily. "The only way to gain...immortality," he said slowly. "Is to master magic. It takes...many years. It is not something...you can learn in a matter of...months. I began my studies when...I was seven. I did not complete...my training until I was...twenty-five. They are long and...grueling years, and most likely...those who try injure themselves...while beginning. It is not a pleasant...process." He stared down at me, as if he was trying to understand why I would want something like that. "I could teach you...if you are truly set...on immortality. It may not succeed. Is...this truly what you want? Think...carefully." I nodded.

He was totally right; this was an enormous decision to make. Did I really want to go through this training and give up everything I've ever known? Did I really want to stand back and watch, unchanged by time, as my family and friends withered away and died? Could I handle that? What about my kids? If I ever got married, could I raise them, knowing that I'd have to bury them and say goodbye forever, while stuck in this same body? Did I even have the capability to become immortal in the first place?

But if I did give up my mortality and got to live forever, not only would I be able to use magic, but I would have Wizard. It took him eighteen years to master his skills, yeah, but maybe I could make my 'mark of power' - if I actually did end up learning magic - be that I looked the same as I do now, so I won't look like I'm a lot older than him. If I was immortal, age wouldn't matter. And then we could spend eternity going on adventures, being together, messing with the witch, all kinds of things. But was that worth forfeiting the only life I've ever known? Did I want to be with him that much? I didn't love him. I couldn't; we hadn't known each other long at all. But it sure as heck wasn't just a crush anymore. Ugh. I didn't know.

How had we gone from yelling at each other to discussing whether or not I was willing to become immortal (possibly) so we could be together?

"Is it even possible?" I asked, looking up at him. "For me to learn magic and stuff? Do I have magic blood or whatnot?"

He nodded. "Yes," he muttered. "That is why you can...see Finn, but your family and friends...cannot." I nodded; that made sense. "Plus, the Harvest Goddess does...not just chose any old...mortal to save her brother...You are special. You...can learn." His expression became conflicted again, and his hand slid down my neck and rested on my shoulder. "I...understand if you do not...want to learn magic. It...is an important decision. One...that...you may not want to make."

"No!" I protested. "I do want to learn. I think it'd be cool. It's just...I'm thinking about if I did end up becoming immortal and got married, could I handle seeing my kids grow up and die without me? And my family; I love them so, so much." I sighed, and Wizard chuckled just a tiny bit and smiled as he said, "Now you see...my dilemma with you." I giggled and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. "I...I think I'm gonna try it. If it's too hard or something, we'll try to find another way." I hugged him again. "I wanna make this as easy as possible for you." He hugged me back, and I grinned so wide it hurt my face. I wasn't sure how things would work out with my trying to learn magic, but if it did, then the rewards would be great. If I had Wizard, I'm sure I could deal with the consequences.

Pulling back, I picked up the bell again with one hand and reached for his with the other. "So," I said as we walked back towards town, arms swinging between us. "I didn't think getting the green bell would be that easy." I laughed, giddy. Today was a pretty good day, all things considered.

Wizard snickered again. "Yes," he said. "If I did not know...you as well as I...do, I would have made you...get ingredients for a...potion that would have...had the same effect...as the spell." I smiled up at him. "It would...have been to test you...to see if you really were...committed to saving...Castanet. But...I know you are. I...do not need to try...you." He frowned. "I might have also done it...to keep Witch from changing...back." He shuddered, and I laughed.

"What would you have made me get?" I asked as we skirted around the edge of the swamp. The sun was starting to go down, changing the snow to orange and pink. It was really pretty. I smiled up at the man next to me.

"Perfect milk, a hibiscus from...Toucan Island, and good...cornmeal."

I whistled lowly. "Yeah, that would have taken me a while," I chuckled. "Now I just have one more bell after this." I held up the one in my hand. "I wonder what it controls."

Wizard peered at it closely, reading the ancient script engraved on the bottom. "Wind," he said after a moment. "It will restore...wind to the island." I nodded, and we continued on in comfortable silence until we broke through the trees, coming back into town. I turned to him and smiled widely, setting the bell down on the cobblestone beneath my feet.

I scuffed my toe on the stones, becoming a bit embarrassed. "Um, so..." I said, peering up at him from beneath my lashes. "Are we...um, are we together? Like, um...officially?" For some reason, I couldn't say the name 'Wizard' and the word 'boyfriend' in the same sentence. That over-used, clichéd term most definitely did _not_ apply to this guy.

Wizard smiled a little, his one visible eye twinkling. He leaned close. "Yes," he whispered. "And your lessons will begin...tomorrow."

I grinned hugely at him, my smile a bit mischievous. "Alright then," I teased. "Kiss me again." He looked floored for a moment, stunned by my boldness, and I bit my lip to keep from laughing out loud at his face. Finally, he laughed quietly and shook his head, but leaned closer still and pressed his lips softly to mine. For someone who didn't have much experience with humans at all, he was a surprisingly good kisser.

My eyes fluttered closed, and I weaved my fingers through his as he let the kiss linger for a few moments. The moment was ruined, however, when a huge racket sounded a few yards away. We yanked apart, and I had only a few seconds to see a flash of blue before I was pulled away from Wizard. Standing between us was Toby, his hat and fishing rod strewn haphazardly in the middle of the street. He had his arms in front of me, and he was glaring at the magic man. Wizard glared right back, his scowl a thousand times more impressive.

"What were you doing to poor Molly?" Toby demanded, clenching his fists. "How dare you take advantage of her like that!" Wizard's eyes widened, shocked that someone would make such an assumption about him. My temper flared at the accusation. He was an amazing man. Wizard would never do something like that, and Toby had to be set straight if he thought otherwise.

I grabbed the fisherman's shoulder and spun him around so I could get in his face. Poking his chest harshly, I snarled, "He was _not _taking advantage of me! I told him to kiss me, you idiot!" I felt a bit guilty for calling him that, but I brushed it aside. He didn't know Wizard like I did, and just because Toby wasn't sure what the magic man was like didn't mean he could go jumping to conclusions. "Do you think I'd let him do that to me and get away with it if I didn't want him to? Huh?" I smacked him upside the head. "Think, man!"

Toby's green eyes widened as I pushed past him, stalking over to Wizard's side and taking his hand in my own. The magic man smirked at the fisherman, and I bit my tongue to keep from chuckling. It was already obvious that Wizard was the jealous, protective type. How sweet...and, admittedly, kinda hot. Toby glared at the two of us, our hands intertwined. "So you two..." he gestured between the two of us, and I nodded. Wizard's smirk grew wider when Toby's face fell into a scowl. "My mistake," he said stiffly, going over and picking up his discarded equipment. "I didn't know you were into each other." He glared at Wizard one more time, and they exchanged a look that I didn't quite understand. Wizard's face fell into a deep scowl, and I thought he would start growling or something at the fisherman. Without another word or goodbye, Toby turned on his heel and strode away, his back stiff.

I turned to face the wizard. "Um...okay. Sorry 'bout that." He only nodded, glaring at Toby's retreating figure. I scooped up the bell and pecked his cheek. "I need to go ring this and track down my cousins. Angela..." I trailed off. Wizard looked down at me, his face set into his ever-present stoic expression. "She...well. She's a handful." I snickered, giving Wizard's hand one last squeeze before turning and jogging down the path. "See you tomorrow!" I called over my shoulder, and he nodded, giving me a small wave as I sprinted down the path. Before I turned back around, I thought I saw a full-blown grin spread across his handsome face as he meandered back towards his house. I think.


	19. Chapter 19

__**Author's Note: What's that you said? You thought I had died or at least had a terrible accident? Nope, I'm alive and uninjured! I'm just a failure... XD Or something. IDK. Anyway, here is the next chapter. Chapter 19. Wow, almost to the point where I have to start writing stuff myself. Hm. Anyway, you know what I'm going to say next, right? I don't own Harvest Moon, no matter how it pains me to say that. This story thus far has come from the genius mind of HorseGirl784 and has been edited by me. I hope you enjoy the chapter! :3  
><strong>

_"I...I think I'm gonna try it. If it's too hard or something, we'll try to find another way." I hugged him again. "I wanna make this as easy as possible for you." He hugged me back, and I grinned so wide it hurt my face. I wasn't sure how things would work out with my trying to learn magic, but if it did, the rewards would be great. If I had Wizard, I'm sure I could deal with the consequences._

**Chapter 19**

**Molly's PoV**

The next morning was grey and dreary, with snow falling gently from the depressing clouds in the sky. What's worse, last night it had snowed so much that my cousin and I were blocked in. The snow covered about half the door and my windows, so that we had to stand on our tippy toes to try and see what had happened to the rest of my land. I tried to get the door to open, but the only thing that had happened was a bunch of cold air and huge drifts came rushing in, creating massive puddles all over my floor.

I sighed as Angela puttered around in the kitchen, my chin on my hands and my cheeks puffed out in frustration. Today was supposed to be my first magic lesson with Wizard, and I had really been looking forward to it. But if I couldn't even open my door, how was I supposed to get to his house? The snow would probably swallow me up. I drummed my fingers on the wooden table and narrowed my eyes at nothing. It wasn't fair. Stupid winter and its annoying, random attacks of snow.

"Breakfast!" Angela called from the kitchen, and I got up and plodded over. It smelled so good and looked even better. She had stacks of waffles with blueberries and syrup, scrambled eggs, crispy bacon that was shiny with grease, and sausages sizzling away in a skillet. My mouth began to water as I looked at the huge feast laid out on my counter. My cousin smirked triumphantly. "Looks pretty good, right?"

"Duh," I said. I glanced at the clock on the stove. It was a little after nine in the morning. I had tried to call Kasey and Kevin's place a half hour ago using my dusty old rotary phone, but the only thing I heard was static. They weren't too far away, just down the path, but I hoped they could survive today without their awesome-cook sister. Too bad for them.

Just as I was getting out forks and plates for the both of us, a suspicious wave of heat washed over me. I turned around, as did Angela, to try and see where it was coming from. It was too concentrated to be my heater, and nobody had taken a shower yet to let out the steam, so that just left one thing. My suspicions were confirmed as the air a few feet in front of me began to wave and distort. It started turning a pale yellow, rays of light branching out of it, and my eyes widened as a slit formed right in front of me in mid-air. It opened up, letting us see the pitch-black background, and out stepped none other than Wizard. He dusted himself off, flashed me a cocky smile, and sealed the little teleport-hole thing by running his hand down the length of it. The portal vanished, shrinking in on itself. My mouth fell open and my eyes bugged out of my head. I stole a glance at Angela. She was letting our sausages burn as she gawked at the wizard. He chuckled lowly.

"Good morning," he said, tossing his hair out of his eyes. "I came to…collect you, Molly. We will be visiting the…Fugue Forest today." I blinked, coming back down to earth.

"But I haven't eaten yet!" I whined. My stomach rumbled, backing me up nicely. "I can't work on an empty belly! That doesn't usually work out well for me." I frowned and set down the plates on my table. Wizard sighed, rolling his eyes. I suddenly got an idea. "Hey, have you eaten anything yet today?" I asked him, a smile beginning to work its way out.

"No."

"Great! Then you'll be staying for the best breakfast ever, thanks to Angie, and then we can get going. Speaking of which, how are you even planning on getting us there in the first place? In case you haven't noticed, my door doesn't open and even if it did, we'd have to wade through snow for _hours_ before we even got there. You know I hate snow and the cold, so you can't be expecting me to do that." I continued to prattle on and on as I got out another plate, setting it down on the table and fixing us all some OJ. Angela shook herself, then began trying to save our sausage. Wizard patiently waited for me to take a breath as I set everything out, and somehow my cousin managed to scrape the black stuff off our burnt food and make it look edible. Angela hardly ever burned anything. I pushed the wizard down into a chair and heaped some of the mouth-watering breakfast-y foods onto his plate before plunking down in a seat next to him and piling some on for myself. Angela watched us with wary eyes, and I suddenly remembered that she didn't know anything about yesterday. She didn't know that Wizard was going to start teaching me how to use magic, and she didn't know that we were officially an item or whatever you wanna call it. I made a mental note to tell her later. About that last part, anyway.

Wizard's patience finally wore out. Clamping a hand over my mouth and smirking, he said, "We will be…going the same way that…I arrived." He shoveled some of the eggs into his mouth, chewed for a moment, swallowed, then nodded his head towards my cousin a little grudgingly. "My compliments...to the chef." Angela didn't say anything back, just smiled hugely at the praise and dug in herself. I managed to devour half my plate before what Wizard said finally sunk in.

"WAIT!" I exclaimed, startling Angela into dropping her fork. Wizard was unperturbed. "What do you mean, 'We'll be going…the same way…that I arrived'?" I dropped my voice an octave or three to make a sad-sounding impression of him. "I can't teleport, genius!"

The magician wasn't concerned, though. "So? I…can," he said cryptically. I waited for him to say something more helpful, but he continued eating like this was the most normal thing in the world. I finally just shook my head and finished my food, deciding just to go with whatever plan he had come up with. This is Wizard we're talking about. It was bound to work.

I cleared the dishes silently, waiting for Angela to argue or pester or whatever she usually did that got under the magic man's skin. Surprisingly, however, she thoughtfully scrubbed away at the dishes and asked him, "Hey, would you mind sending me over to my brothers'? It's gonna be pretty lonely with Molly gone all day." I looked over at him, wondering if that was even possible.

Apparently it was, because with a curt nod, Wizard stood. Striding over to my cousin, he closed his eyes and murmured something under his breath. A yellow ball of light appeared, and Wizard shaped it into a long, oval-ish figure with his hands. When it was in the shape he wanted, he drew his hands together and then slowly spread them apart. The same slit in the light from earlier appeared, and he gestured for Angela to step through it with his eyes still closed. She eyed it for a moment, not sure what to make of the display of magic, and tentatively stepped through the portal. When she was all the way inside, Wizard's eyes snapped open, and the opening disappeared with a soft _whoosh. _He stepped away from the space where it had once been and turned to me, chuckling lightly at my flabbergasted expression.

"Our…turn," he said quietly, and repeated the same movements from before. This time, though, when the portal was visible and open, he slowly opened his eyes and held out one of his hands to me. I tried to hide my fear when I caught a glimpse of his eyes; they glowed a disturbing blue, and his hands seemed to have sparks jumping off his skin that I hadn't noticed before. He didn't say anything as he impatiently waved me over, and I sucked in a sharp breath as I grabbed his hand. I let it out when my skin wasn't scorched, and he led me over to the teleport hole. Squeezing my eyes shut and clutching his hand tightly in both of my own, I let him pull me into the opening.

As soon as I heard the hole shut behind us, an intense, almost unbearable pressure pressed down on me. It was incredibly hard to breathe, and then I was suddenly yanked forward by something that felt almost like a string attached behind my bellybutton. I tried to scream, but I couldn't get enough air in my lungs to actually do it. Wizard's hand tightened around mine, as if he knew that this would scare me horribly. I clutched it even tighter, to the point of pain.

Then, almost as soon as it had begun, my feet slammed down on solid earth, and I pitched forward, getting a mouthful of moss and peat. I groaned and rolled over, spitting out the dirt and sitting up to look at my surroundings. Wizard was kneeling by my side, looking torn between guilt and amusement. I glared at him blackly and stood up, panting as I went. "Never…again," I wheezed. "Don't you _ever _do…that to me again. Why aren't you all…suffocated and stuff?"

Wizard let my lean on him as I caught my breath and found my balance. "I was the one…who conducted the spell. Side…teleporting is very different than…if you had cast the spell…yourself. You will find…this out eventually." I nodded, finally managing to take in where I was. He had said we would be in the Fugue Forest, but I had never seen this part of it.

It was beautiful, somehow protected from the elements and completely snow-free. Watery green light filtered through the dense canopy of leaves above our heads, even though today was overcast. The grass was tall and wildflowers dotted the landscape, ranging from pure white to deep midnight purple. There was a lake at the southern side that had a small pier and water that sparkled a crystal blue. The trees surrounded the clearing and cast menacing shadows, but strangely, I wasn't afraid of them this time. The beauty of the clearing put me completely at ease.

"Where are we?" I breathed, my titian eyes going wide. "I've never seen this place before."

"The Fugue Forest," Wizard answered, letting me take it all in. "I discovered this…place a century ago when…foraging for Fugue Mushrooms. I…will teach you about those…later. For now, we will… concentrate on accessing your powers." He walked ahead of me, gesturing for me to follow him as he neared the lake. When we were close enough, he stopped and turned to face me. I watched him intently, unsure of what he wanted me to do. How do you access your powers?

"Concentrate," he instructed, sitting down in the grass. I followed suit, arching an eyebrow. "Clear…your mind and focus on…nothing but yourself. Search…your conscience for your abilities. You…will know when you find them." I nodded, folding my legs and closing my eyes. I forced all thoughts out of my head and tried to search myself for anything that felt even the least bit magical. My brow furrowed in frustration as the minutes ticked by and nothing happened. "Do not…rush," Wizard murmured. "It takes…a great deal of practice…to summon magic at will. You…are doing fine."

I nodded again and concentrated harder, searching my mind for anything out of the ordinary. My head began to ache from the intense force of my focus, but I ignored it. I was determined to succeed and find my powers. I knew I had them; Wizard had said so.

Finally, I stumbled upon something weird. In the most secluded, guarded and darkest part of myself, there was a strange wrinkle or bump thing. I got excited and slipped for a moment, temporarily losing the feel of it, but I bit my lip and brought it back into focus. With a huge mental shove, I broke through the barrier and intense light shot out of the bump, almost blinding me from the inside. Heat rushed through my veins, and I gasped as my entire body began to tingle and hum. My eyes flew open, and everything was amplified and sharpened. I could see every blade of grass on the opposite side of the clearing and every ashy-blonde strand of hair on Wizard's head. I fought to keep a hold of the magic and basked in the strange high as it coursed throughout my body. Wizard smiled, and I gritted my teeth to keep my focus.

"Good," he said, but the sound of his voice snapped my concentration. The magic flowing through my veins disappeared almost instantly, retreating back into that strange little wrinkle. The tingling and heat vanished, and I suddenly felt extremely drained, even though I had just eaten a huge breakfast. I gasped for breath and braced myself on my hands as I crashed back down, at a loss for words. My vision dulled, returning to normal, and I let out a frustrated growl.

"What…Oh my goodness," I finally choked out, dumbfounded. The magician sitting across from me chuckled, leaning back on his hands as he watched me flounder for words. There was nothing to describe it; the power I had felt in those few short seconds was incredible. The feel of the magic, thrumming throughout my body, was the best thing I'd ever experienced. I wanted to do it again, immediately.

"Very…good," Wizard praised. I was still breathing hard, wondering why I was so tired, when he answered that very question. "Since you are new…to the ways of magic, it… will take a toll on your body…until you grow accustomed to…it. That is why you…are so exhausted and I…am not." I nodded, finally managing to get my breath back. Excitement rushed over me in waves, and I squealed happily as I realized that this could work. This might actually be successful.

"What did I look like?" I gushed, leaning forward. "Was I glowing? Did my hair float around like yours does sometimes? Did I have flames all over me?" Wizard laughed again at my silly questions. He had laughed more today than I had ever heard him since I had known him.

"Your eyes glowed…yellow," he said, "As did the rest…of you." He thought for a moment before saying, "Every magic user…has as specific color that…shows in various ways. Mine…is midnight blue, yours…is apparently a pale yellow, the…witch's is orange, the Goddess's is… a light green, and the Harvest…King's is a fiery red. My Master's…was a very dark purple." He scrutinized me carefully as I took it all in, as if he thought it would frighten me or something. I almost snorted; this was anything _but _frightening.

Well, except for having to watch Wizard's eyes glow. That was kinda weird, but I was over it.

"Cool," I chirped, bouncing in my spot. "So what next? Do I get to learn spells now?"

"No," Wizard snorted, and I pouted. "You must first learn how…to summon your powers a bit…easier. Now try again." With a good-natured groan, I complied.

By the time Wizard teleported us back to my house, I was totally and completely beat from the strenuous exercises. He practically had to carry me through that awful teleportation hole, but I was too tired to really care. When he finally stepped out into my home, I was on the verge of a very long nap. Possibly a couple days' worth of sleep, if Angela would let me.

Wizard shook me roughly, and I yawned hugely as he set me down at the kitchen table. "We are not…done for today," he chided as he sat beside me. "Just because I have…decided to teach you…magic does not mean you…can forget about the bells." I moaned, slumping forward and burying my face in my folded arms. Wizard urged me to sit up, and I watched as he produced a very familiar book from his cloak. I sighed in defeat; there was no getting around this.

"The next…bell should not be…very difficult for you," he began as he leafed through the crinkled, yellowed pages. I listened sleepily, watching him in contentment. "I do not know…where it is located, but…I do know the requirements needed…to ring it." He turned to me and smiled as I yawned, blinking blearily at him. "You need ten…wishes from the townspeople. Seeing as…you are friends with almost…_everyone,_ this should not be…too much of a challenge." I nodded. "Tell the wishes…to a wishing shrine…located in Celesta Church."

I slumped forward and rested my head on my palm, watching him talk. Ten wishes was a piece of cake, I was sure. I knew I had Wizard's wish, along with Kathy and Maya's. Angela, Kasey and Kevin's probably wouldn't count, but it wouldn't hurt to get them anyway. Chase's I could probably get, too, along with Owen's and Luke's. Toby's wish was in the bag, too. That's ten right there, including my cousins. But, just in case, I could probably pry out Selena's wish. Julius, however much I hated to talk to him, would more than willingly fork over his wish, so that left only one. I didn't know Gill very well, or Anissa and Renee. Jin was just boring… Luna hated me. But what about Candace? I might be able to get hers… I usually helped her out before the store opened, helping her display clothes and making her laugh. Yeah, I could get hers, too. There, that's ten. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Wizard seemed to know that I was conking out. He chuckled quietly as I slouched forward even more and my eyelids drooped. "You are…tired. Get some rest, and…I will see you…tomorrow." I nodded, opening my arms like a child.

"Carry me."

The magic man rolled his eyes, but smiled all the same. Bending down, he scooped me up bridal style and carried me over to my big, comfy bed. Gently, he placed my on the fluffy comforter and took off my shoes and socks. I curled up on my side and snagged his cloak sleeve. "Stay," I slurred as I began to sink into unconsciousness. I heard him sigh, but I felt the edge of my bed fold under his weight as he waited for me to fall asleep. The last thing I felt before I completely went under was his smooth lips on my forehead and soft words spoken in an ancient language I didn't understand. I smiled, and his ghostly chuckle whispered in my ears as the blackness washed over me.


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note: *GASP* I'm... I'm alive? I'M ALIIIIVVVEEEE! :O I really have no excuse for my absence. I could say that I'm a Senior, and I had a lot of homework and stuff, but that's not a good excuse for the weekends... I'M SORRY! PLEASE FORGIVE ME! Well, here is chapter 20, the last chapter that comes from the mind of HorseGirl784. :D You know what I'm going to say now, right? I don't own Harvest Moon, though it pains me to admit it. XD Please enjoy this chapter. Hopefully, I'll be motivated enough to start on Chapter 21 soon.**_  
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_"What…Oh my gosh," I finally choked out, dumbfounded. The magician sitting across from me chuckled, leaning back on his hands as he watched me flounder for words. There was nothing to describe it; the power I had felt in those few short seconds was incredible. The feel of the magic, thrumming throughout my body, was the best thing I'd ever experienced. I wanted to do it again, immediately._

**Chapter 20**

**Molly's PoV**

"…You're leaving?"

"Just for a few days. I…will be back for the New…Year's celebration." Wizard had his back turned to me as he scribbled something down in a leather-bound journal. "I am running low…on magical ingredients for my potions…Some that cannot be found…on Castanet." He turned to me and smirked. "I expect you…to practice accessing your magic while…I am away."

I groaned and walked around the couch, plopping down next to him. It was the twenty fourth today, and winter was finally drawing to a close. Apparently, that also meant that some foreign potion-y things were going out of season and Wizard just _had _to gather them. He'd be leaving the island to get them, abandoning me to do all the bell work myself. I pouted.

"Why can't I come with you?" I whined, and he chuckled as he stood, mussing my hair as he walked by. I got up to follow him. "I'm learning magic, remember? This could be a great educational experience or something!" I threw my hands in the air before crossing them over my chest. I wasn't about to let him leave me here with nothing but work to do for a few days. I'd been spoiled this season. The lack of crops and unusual amount of free time had made me grow used to just wandering around and being lazy, a habit that was coming back to bite me in butt. I hadn't gathered _any _wishes yet. "Pleeeeeease let me come."

"No, Molly," Wizard said firmly. "You have work…that needs to be done…and spring to prepare for." I huffed, about to interrupt, but he shot me an irritated glance, and I shut up. "The goddess tree is…becoming weaker every day. The…Harvest King must be summoned…as soon as possible. You have…been distracted with your…training. It is high time…you returned to the task…at hand."

Dang Wizard and his logical answers.

I really wanted to argue further, to coerce him into letting me come, but I knew he was right. Between learning magic, hanging out with my cousins, Wizard, and helping the townspeople, almost no work had been done to help the poor Harvest Goddess and revive her tree. With a dejected sigh, I gave in with poor grace. "When are you leaving?" I asked. "I'll be sure to start getting the wishes together so we can ring the bell when you get back."

"Tonight," Wizard mumbled as he scanned the bookshelves. My shoulders slumped; a few hours, then. It was almost two thirty in the afternoon now. "And I will return…early on the twenty eighth."

"Okay," I mumbled, giving in. I walked back over to him, feet dragging, and wrapped my arms around his waist from behind. Leaning my forehead against his back, just between his shoulder blades, I sighed again and said, "I'll miss you." His body was tense, but I wasn't offended. Wizard wasn't a very touchy-feely person—unlike me, who hugged everybody on a regular basis—, and he wasn't quite used to physical affection yet. I knew it wasn't because he didn't like it; it just took him a few moments to thaw out and return the gesture. Most of time, I usually ended up being the one to grab his hand or kiss him instead of the other way around. But he'd warm up to it, I was sure.

Wizard's frame finally lost its stiffness as he breathed out a heavy sigh. "Likewise," he murmured, and had I been anybody else, I wouldn't have heard the smile in his voice. I grinned into his silky cloak before I let him go, ducking under his arm to stand in front of him so I could see what he was tracing with his finger. It was a small book, the runes on the front unfamiliar and ancient. "It is a spell book," he said, as if he could hear me wondering. "The…first one my Master ever…gave me."

"What does it say?" I asked, taking the book from his hands. I traced the unfamiliar letters with my eyes, trying to decide what it might be talking about. "I've never seen writing like this before. Except on all your books. But still."

"_ΑπλήΦυλακτάκαι ξόρκιαγιατηννεαρός μάγος,_" Wizard said, and he laughed quietly when I turned to look at him, eyebrows raised. "The ancient, magical language," he clarified. "Otherwise…known to humans as ancient…Greek."

"Whoa," I breathed, staring at the cover. Ancient Greek was the root of the magical language? How interesting. I guess that kind of made sense, since it's the oldest language*. Plus, you gotta admit that it even sounds kind of fantasy-like when spoken out loud. Especially coming from an actual wizard. I opened the tome, leafing through the crackly pages. Some were so yellowed and fragile that holes had formed in the paper, cutting off whatever incantation it might have been trying to explain. "How old were you when your master gave this to you?"

Wizard rested his chin on my head, surprising me with the contact, and sighed. "Shortly before his death. So, I…was around thirteen." His arms encircled my waist, and I fought the urge to ask what he was doing. He'd only done that, like, once since we've been together. Which was only a little less than two weeks, but still. "I had to…teach myself most of the…spells inside." To someone else, he may have seemed indifferent. But I knew him well; there was a subtle undercurrent of pain that he was trying to hide.

I didn't say anything, just leaned against him and flipped through the book. There were footnotes in almost all the margins, scrawled messily by a teenage boy's hand. They were written in the same language, Greek, and some were scribbled out only to be corrected right beside it. I wondered if, whenever Wizard actually started teaching me individual spells, he would give this book to me. Or at least read it to me. I wanted to know what the pages said, and what Wizard had thought of. This ancient tome seemed to hold a large mystery as to what Wizard had been like when he was younger.

"What was your master like?" I whispered as I slid the book back into its spot. "You talk about him a lot, but you've never told me his name or how you met him." Wizard slowly let me go and sauntered over to his potion cabinets, taking out a sturdy-looking satchel and stuffing different plants and things into it. He seemed to be thinking, and I patiently waited for him to say something.

"My Master's name was…Mason," he said sadly. "He…told me what it was…in a hidden letter left behind shortly…before his arrest. He knew what…was coming." He frowned, pausing his packing. I hopped up on one of the counters beside him, urging him to continue. Wizard rarely talked so openly with me. "He had been a friend…of my parents for many years. They…did not know he was…a wizard. When my powers were discovered…when I turned six, he offered…to hide me and take care of…me. A year later, after explaining what…I was and how the world feared our…kind, I entered an apprenticeship with…him." Wizard sighed, stopping his preparing all together. He turned and braced his back against the counter, folding his arms across his chest. He grimaced at the ceiling.

I put a comforting hand on his shoulder, realizing that this wasn't something he liked to remember. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," I said. "I can see he meant a lot to you; that's enough for me." I smiled at him, trying to wipe the painful reminiscence off his face. "Besides," I slid off the counter, "I don't really need to know. It's not my business." Even though I was burning with curiosity.

"Thank you," he mumbled, slinging the satchel over his shoulder. He tromped upstairs, reappearing moments later with a fold-up telescope and a few bags of coffee beans. I rolled my eyes at the latter, but he only chuckled.

"You'll be careful, right?" I chided as I followed him around his house, watching as he gathered up various magical tools and whatnot. "I don't want you to get eaten by a pack of hungry wolves or blasted to smithereens by another wizard or something along those lines."

Wizard laughed heartily at that last statement, and I paused to wonder at it. Wizard's laugh was very different than a human one; it had an almost musical tone to it, like a violin or something, and it kind of echoed for a moment before fading. "I highly doubt that…a fellow magic caster would intend…to harm me," he chortled. "But I can…take care of myself rather well. I am…one of the strongest beings on this island." He paused for a moment, thinking something over. "Well, at the moment, I…_am _the strongest." Wizard smirked at me, gathering up all his things. I was surprised to hear something like that; _the _strongest magical being, huh? Cool.

"So you're better than the Goddess at casting spells?" I enthused. He started to answer, but I was on a roll. "That's totally amazing. I had no idea! Are you older than her? Why are you stronger? Have you ever had a duel with her or something?"

"In that…order," Wizard mumbled as he began clearing away space to make his teleportation hole. "Yes, no, I will tell you…when I return, and…of a sort." He shifted his satchel and duffel bag on his shoulder as he bent down, taking me completely by surprise and kissing me sweetly. He chuckled at my bewildered expression when he pulled away. "I must be going. I will…return in a few days." With that, he opened the portal and stepped inside. I waved enthusiastically and gave him a blinding smile when he turned around to look at me one more time, and he gave a tiny wave back. Then the slit closed, cutting off my view of him.

I sighed dreamily as I shoved my feet back into my winter boots. I could handle a few days without him; hopefully, being busy scampering around the town and collecting the wishes in time for his return would keep me occupied enough.

I stepped outside into the winter evening, finding a dejected Finn moping on the ledge to the right of the door. I almost laughed out loud; the pixie had opted to wait outside for me, saying he'd rather not see all the 'mushy stuff'. I tried to tell him that Wizard wasn't like that, but noooo, he wanted to stay outside.

"Finally!" He squeaked. "You were taking _for-ev-er._ It's getting really cold out here, you know!" This time, I did laugh as he made himself at home on my shoulder. "I was so bored!"

"And get this," Kasey said excitedly, taking another swig from his bottle. We were at the Brass Bar, the six of us all seated around a table. It was Angela, Kasey, Selena, Kathy, Chase and me. The rest of the restaurant was empty; with much eyelash-batting and crocodile tears, Kathy had convinced her dad to open the place up just for us. It was about eleven a.m. of the twenty fifth, so we were all just relaxing and goofing off. "The guy says that I had no talent and would get nowhere. But then I get to the studio and they're all like, 'Ohmygoodnessyou'resogoodwe'llgiveyouthishugemulti-milliondollarcontract!'"

"Pfft," Angela said, rolling her eyes at her twin. Kathy and Selena looked like they were about to die laughing at the sheer impossibility of Kasey's story. "That is so not how it happened, Doofus." She leaned forward, bracing her elbows on the table and eyeing the gang. "You were playing your guitar on street corners and passing the hat when someone said you were good." She took a gulp of her cocktail as I stirred my Dr. Pepper self-consciously.

Selena rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "You city boys and your ridiculous tales to impress us." She flipped her scarlet hair over her shoulder haughtily. "I am anything but." Kathy and Chase snickered, but Kasey was unperturbed. He merely shrugged, saying, "Who said I was trying to impress anyone?"

"Uh, you did," Chase pointed out. He and Kasey had become fast friends, much to everyone's surprise. The cook wasn't exactly the easiest person to get along with. They hung out a lot at the inn, I heard from Maya. Speaking of which…

"Hey," I said, looking around. "Where's Maya at?" I turned to Kathy, seated on my left. "I thought she woulda come around by now or something." When Angela chuckled, though, I knew something was up. Chase was smirking and looking like he was trying not to laugh, and Kasey was rolling his eyes. Selena, Kathy, and I were the only ones that didn't know what was going on. We looked at each other, confused.

Angela took another sip of her drink. "She's at the inn." She grinned devilishly. "Ogling Kevin."

My can of soda stopped halfway to my mouth, my eyes bugging out of their sockets. "But I thought she liked _Chase!_" I protested, ignoring Selena's gasp of surprise at the news. I pointed at the chef, as if no one could see him. "That's impossible!"

"Not really," Kasey piped. He punched Chase's shoulder playfully when he said, "Mr. Grinch here finally scared her off, and then Kevin came waltzing in. All I hear about from both of them nowadays is 'Oh my gosh, he's soooooo cute' or 'Kasey, have you perchance seen Maya out and about? I must go impress her with my vast knowledge of all things completely useless'. It's sickening."

"Isn't he a lot older than her, though?" Kathy said, staring at my cousins. "Like, six years or something?"

"Five," Angela said. "But yeah. I've got no problem with it, though. It's about time he got out on the field." Kasey snickered his agreement. I shook my head, chugging my soda. You learn something new every day, huh?

"Anyway," I said, cutting off a brewing argument between Angela and Chase. In the two weeks she'd been in town they'd hardly softened up towards each other, but I thought that by mid-spring they'd at least be able to be in the same room without problems. Maybe. "I was wondering… if you guys could wish for anything in the whole wide world, what would it be?"

"Why the sudden interest?" Chase probed, running a hand through his peachy hair. He'd forgotten his hairpins today, so it was twice as wild and unkempt as usual. I just shrugged. Sure they knew I was searching for the bells to revive the island, but saying that I needed them to tell to a magical wishing shrine hidden somewhere in the church seemed just a little out there.

"Just curious."

Chase glared at me for a moment before giving in with a shrug. "I dunno… to make people happy with my cooking?" Angela snorted, and I elbowed her harshly in the ribs. The chef scowled at her for a minute before turning thoughtful. "I guess I kind of do that anyway, so to improve a little every day seems about right." He sat back in his chair, looking a little embarrassed. Kasey clapped him on the shoulder, saying how noble that was. If cooking can be noble.

To my surprise, though, Angela didn't make any smart remarks. She merely stared into her glass, biting her lip in thought. She jumped when I asked, "What about you, Ang?" My cousin sighed and sat back in her chair, staring at the ceiling as she thought. She shook her head. "I'm not really sure," she said. "There're a lot of things I could wish for right now."

"But what's the biggest one? The most important wish?"

Ang played with the little umbrella in her glass for a minute, eyes flickering to the five faces staring at her nervously. I began to worry; this wasn't typical Angela behavior. Normally she didn't have any problems saying what was on her mind, nice or not. Seeing her squirm uncomfortably when asked a question was kinda scary. "Umm… my biggest wish right now is to create a better life for myself."

"Better?" The people chorused, but my cousin merely nodded, not meeting their gazes. I decided not to push her here, in front of my friends. Whatever was bothering her didn't need to become town gossip; it was one of the downfalls of living in such a small society. If something even mildly interesting happens, then suddenly every single person knows the ins and outs of the situation. It was pretty irritating, really.

I moved on, asking Kathy, Kasey, and Selena the same thing. The barmaid wanted a worthy opponent to race horses with (and blushed profusely when Chase 'coughed' "Owen" into his fist), Selena wanted to become the best professional dancer the world had ever seen **, and Kasey wanted to make people happy with his music. They were all pretty cool wishes, not at all what I was expecting. I kept thinking someone would say "Get rich" or "Find love", something cheesy and cliché like that. I was pleasantly surprised.

Five wishes down, five to go. This is easy. Maybe a bit _too_ easy.

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><p><strong>HorseGirl784's original Author's notes:<strong>

*** I have no idea if this is true or not. I just wanted an excuse to use a really cool language that nobody knows anymore.**

**** I haven't gotten Selena's wish yet in the game. I don't know what it is, so I'm taking a guess. **

**Author's Note #2 (Jesusrosefromthedead): I have to write the next chapter myself... I hope it turns out okay... XD  
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	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Note: ...I'm... Alive? I'M ALIIIIVVVEEE! I would like to apologize for the extremely long wait. I had no inspiration. And now that I finally had inspiration, I give you this short chapter that really doesn't have much happen in it. So I am sorry. I hope you don't find this chapter to be too crappy. I actually wrote it myself, so yeah. I hope you enjoy it despite how short it is.  
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**Disclaimer! I do not own Harvest Moon... unfortunately. :)  
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**Chapter 21**

**Molly's PoV**

"Ugh, I'm so BORED."

Angela sighs and gives me a look that says, "You're being annoying," before asking, "Aren't you supposed to be getting wishes from people or something?"

I sigh and reply, "But Angela, I'm sooooo lazy."

"... That's a terrible excuse."

I sigh again and lean my head down against the inn's order counter. It's been a week since Wizard left and a lot has happened. For one, Angela got a job at the inn (and is still laughing about the look on Chase's face when she told him). She really seems to like it. Then again, maybe she just likes making fun of Chase all day.

For another, Kevin and Maya have been disgustingly cutesy recently. I think they started dating. I can't seem to get either one of them to tell me about it, though.

On another note, I have been able to retrieve zero new wishes from people (which could be because I haven't actually tried, but I digress).

Speaking of wishes, Maya just walked in the door.

"MAAAYYYAAA!"

She squeals in shock, then glares at me. "Molly! You scared me!" I shrug and say, "Sorry. I got overexcited." She sighs and asks, "Did you need something in particular?"

I smile, nod, and ask, "If you could wish for one thing, what would it be?" She thinks for a minute before saying, "WORLD PEACE!" I look at her like she just grew an extra head and say, "Really?" So much for not getting any clichéd responses. I reply. "…Okay then." She laughs, than says, "I was just kidding. My real wish is for everyone to have enough food to eat."

I stand up and say, "That's better. I was afraid you were serious." She fakes being offended and retorts, "Do you have something wrong with world peace?" I laugh and reply, "Yes. It would put soldiers out of a job." Maya rolls her eyes and turns to Angela. "Hey Angela." Angela smiles and says, "Hey Maya. What's up? Still in love with my brother? Which, by the way, I find to be completely creepy?" Maya turns a bright red and says, "W-w-what? Who said I was in love with Kevin? I certainly didn't say it. Psh." Angela grins evilly and retorts, "I didn't say it was Kevin." Maya realizes her mistake. "Oh, shoot!" I pat her shoulder, sigh, and say, "You might as well tell us all about it now, Maya. Angela won't stop until she succeeds." Maya sighs, slumps in a chair that she pulls up in front of the counter, and says, "Fine, you got me. I like Kevin." Angela puts her hand over her heart and exclaims, "I can't believe you just admitted it!" Maya glares at her and retorts, "I didn't want you to bug me about it!" She sighs and continues, "Anyway, it doesn't really matter. He doesn't like me." Angela snorts and replies, "Yes he does. How can you NOT see that? He goes on and on and how nice you are and about the fact that you actually find him funny. By the way, why DO you find him funny? All of his jokes are educational! He's the only one who gets them!" Maya looks offended as she says, "_I _get them. Who cares if they're educational? They're hilarious!" Then she realizes what else Angela says and she says, "Wait! He talks about me?" Angela rolls her eyes and says, "All the time. It's so annoying." Maya blushes, fiddles with the hem of her dress, and asks, "What does he say about me?" Angela puts her hands on her hips and answers, "Why don't you just go ask him?"

Maya pauses, thinks for a minute, then says, "You're right. I will! Bye, Angela! Bye, Molly!" She waves as she dashes out of the inn. I wave back before turning to Angela. "That was unexpectedly nice of you." She shrugs and replies, "I was getting sick of both of them. They obviously like each other. They need to start dating and stop bugging me to give them information about the other." I nod in understanding and ask, "Kevin asked you about Maya again?" She shouts, "YES! And it's so annoying! I thought it was annoying when all he ever did was talk about educational crap, but this is worse! He's like a love-sick puppy. It's sickening." I giggle and say, "Well, I better get going before Chase shows up. I really don't want to get involved in another one of your fights. See you later!" Angela waves at me as I leave.

I start to walk towards the Wizard's house automatically, then remember, _Oh yeah. He's not here._ I sigh and start to walk toward the Town Hall instead. I open the door and shout, "GILL!" Gill cringes and says, "Do you have to be so loud? An indoor voice would work perfectly fine." I tilt my head and ask, "What's an indoor voice?" He sighs, rolls his head, and asks, "Did you need something?" I snap my fingers and exclaim, "Oh yeah! If you could wish for one thing, what would it be?" Gill quirks an eyebrow and retorts, "Really? Isn't that kind of a childish question?" I reply, "Yes, it is! Are you going to answer it or not?" Gill sighs, puts aside the papers he's trying (and failing) to work on and answers, "I don't know. I guess it would be to make this town a great place to live, where everyone is safe and happy. And for it to prosper as long as it stands." I reply, "Aw, Gill DOES have feelings!" He gives me a look and says, "Who said I didn't?" I answer, "Uhh… OH! Look at the time! I gotta go to the place to meet the person, so we can do… stuff. See you later Gill!" I run out the door and wipe my forehead while saying, "Whew! That was a close one. Now, who should I go bug?" As I start to walk toward the Garmon Mine District, I hear a squeaky voice saying, "MOLLY!" and feel a slight bump on the back of my head. I turn around to see Finn shaking his head as though to clear it. I smile and sigh, "Oh, hey Finn." He frowns at me and exclaims, "Molly! Why did you leave me at home? I wanted to come, too!" I sigh and answer, "Calm down, Finn. You looked tired, so I thought I'd let you sleep longer!" I smile at him and hope he believes me.

…He doesn't.

Finn huffs and says, "I don't believe you! I bet you just didn't want to have to take me to see the Harvest Goddess." I sigh and reply, "Finn, we can't go see the Harvest Goddess every day." Finn pouts and says, "Please?" I sigh in defeat and answer, "Alright. We can go see the Harvest Goddess." Finn shouts with joy and starts to do a little victory dance before I say, "But just this once. From now on if you want to see the Harvest Goddess, and I'm busy, you'll have to go by yourself." Finn nods in agreement, and I sigh. "Well, let's go see the Harvest Goddess." As we walk toward the Harvest Goddess's Pond, I think to myself, _I hope the Wizard is okay_.

**In another place**

**Wizard's PoV**

I search the path in front of me, looking for that one ingredient I still need. I cannot seem to find it anywhere. This should have been easy. I should have been able to find all of the ingredients in the same general area, then I should have been able to go home. Unfortunately, it did not work out that way. I sigh to myself and think, _I wonder how Molly is doing_. Just the thought of the brunette makes me smile. _I have never met someone who has made me feel this way_. I sigh and shake my head, telling myself, "Come on, Gale. The sooner you find this last ingredient, the sooner you can go home." I search the path for a little longer before something catches my eye. A bright green light is coming from my right, just off the path. When I see it, I grin widely. I walk through the brush and other greenery to the one ingredient I need. I pick it carefully from the ground, doing my best not to pull out the roots (that way it can grow back). I say aloud, "I have found it."

Now I can go home.

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><p><strong>Author's Note #2: Yeah, there are two of these. Anyway, I looked up the wishes mentioned in this chapter, so they are the legit Animal Parade answers.<strong>


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's Note: Yay, a new chapter! :D So, I think we all know how I'm going to start this off, right? I apologize, yet again, for my lack of uploading. I hope this chapter might possible make up for it? Maybe? IDK. Anyway, I would like to take this moment to think everyone who has reviewed and followed this story. :) It makes me feel so specialz. :D Or something. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.  
><strong>

**Oh yeah, and guess what? I still don't own Harvest Moon. Though by Christmas I should own a copy of the new Harvest Moon game for the 3DS, Harvest Moon: A New Beginning. :D Well, enough with my fangirlness. Enjoy! :3  
><strong>

**Chapter 22**

**Molly's PoV**

"I got all the wishes, I got all the wishes!" I sing this while skipping through town, very proud of myself for working so hard. I stop mid-skip and frown. "I wonder what's taking Wizard so long. He was supposed to back after a few days. Instead, it's been a week and a half."

"Are you that worried about him?"

I jump at the sound of someone interrupting my spoken thoughts. I turn to see Kasey smirking at me. I sigh in relief, glare at him and say, "Kasey! You almost gave me a heart-attack! What if I had DIED?!" He gives me a look and says, "Uh, I think you're being a little overly dramatic." I wave him off and ask, "What was it you asked me again? I forget." He sighs, shakes his head and mutters, "I swear, sometimes you have the attention span of a squirrel." He ignores my protests at his remark and says, "I asked if you were that worried about the Wizard." I blink at him and answer, "Well, DUH I'm worried about him. What if he's sick? What if he hurt himself? What if he fell off a cliff? Or sprained his ankle? Or died? OR WORSE! WHAT IF HE GOT ABDUCTED BY EVIL FAIRIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY BRAINWASHING HIM INTO LOVING RAINBOWS AND UNICORNS?!" Kasey gave me a look like, 'What the heck?' and said, "Uh… I dunno. I guess you'll never find out?" He backs away slowly as I start muttering about the evil fairies making him their slave and forcing him to steal cookies for them or some other evil bidding of theirs.

When I finally snap out of my train of thought, I look around, notice that Kasey is no longer there, shrug, and walk toward the inn. When I open the door, I hear a loud voice shout, "HA! I BEAT YOU!" I contemplate walking right back out the door, but then decide that it sounds way too interesting to not go in. I walk in to see Angela pointing a whisk at Chase, a triumphant smirk on her face. Chase has a scowl on his face and has his arms crossed over his chest. I timidly walk toward them and ask nervously, "Hey guys. What's up?" Angela turns to me, the triumphant smirk still in place. "I just beat Chase at a baking match, that's what's up!" Chase scowls and snaps, "You only won because you cheated!" Angela scoffed and asked, "Oh really? And HOW, pray tell, did I cheat?" Chase's arms go to his sides, his fists clenched, as he retorts, "I don't know! But there's no way you could have gathered the ingredients, mixed them, and baked the cake all in thirty minutes! It's not possible!" Angela growls at him and says, "Well, I did! So get over it! Stop whining and accept that you lost!" Chase makes a 'hmph' sound, turns around, and stomps off. Angela shouts at him, "Take it like a man!" I feel a drop of sweat form on my forehead as I say, "Angela, calm down." Angela spins around to face me and says, "Calm down? CALM DOWN? I AM CALM!" I sigh and say, "Then prove it. Stop shouting." Angela sighs and mutters, "I don't know why he can't just admit that he lost to me." I sigh and ask, "How DID you manage to make your cake so quickly?" She shrugs. "I used this special Baking Powder that the General Store sells that speeds up baking." I cross my arms and ask, "Couldn't that be considered cheating?" She scoffs, offended, and says, "He didn't make a rule saying I COULDN'T use it." I sigh, shake my head and ask, "Don't you think you should apologize and explain it to him?" She gives me a puppy-dog pout and says, "But I don't wanna." I sigh and think, _well, maybe I can get Chase to apologize._ I go in the direction I say Chase go in and find him sitting at a table, furiously scribbling something in a notebook. He grabs his head and growls in frustration. I walk up behind him and ask, "Whatcha doin'?" He jumps and falls out of the seat in shock. He rubs his head, says, "Ow," and looks up. "Sheesh, Molly. Give me a heart-attack, why don't ya." I giggle, say, "Sorry, Kasey did that to me, too, earlier, so I guess I should have known better." He sighs, runs his hand through his hair, and asks, "So, what's up?"

I sigh. "Could you by any change apologize to Angela and forget about this? I know she **seems** a little overconfident when it comes to cooking, but that's because that's one of the few things she actually likes to do and can do well at." Chase blinks at me. He sighs and says, "Yeah, I guess I can apologize. I went a little overboard." I smile and say, "Thanks, Chase! I really appreciate it." I start to leave before I pause. I turn back to him and say, "Hey, Chase? Could you, by any chance, try to be Angela's friend? I know she probably seems kinda obnoxious to you, but she really doesn't have that many friends. She's always kinda been the loner type. She never really had a good friend. I dunno why I'm telling you this. I guess you just seem so much like her in ways." I saw the strange look he was giving me and my face grew hot. "Never mind, forget I said anything." I rush out of the room back to where Angela is. She doesn't seem to have noticed that I've come back in, so I watch her for a moment. She seems off. Like something's wrong. I hear her sniff a little, and move a hand to rub her eye as though she's crying. I walk in and say, "Angela? Are you okay?" She jumps, spins around, plasters on a fake smile, and says, "Yeah, I'm fine! Why do you ask?" I point to the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She blinks, looks sheepish, and says, "Oh yeah. I was just… cutting onions! Yeah, that's it." I give her a skeptical look before saying and saying, "Hey, I gotta go. I'll see you later?" She nods, says, "See you!" a little TOO enthusiastically, and I walk toward the door. As I turn the knob, I hear Chase walk and say, "Uh, Angela, there's something I want to say…" I smile and leave, giving the two some alone time to work things out. I smile and skip through town (again). Once I get to the Wizard's house, I stop. I sigh sadly, shrug, and turn toward the docks. I have nothing better to do, so might as well go fishing or something, right?

I plop down on the docks, get out my fishing rod, and wait for a bite. Three hours later, I have two fish. Not exactly my best day. I sigh, get up, and say, "Oh well. I guess I can give these to Angela and ask her to cook 'em up for me." I walk toward my house and stop in my tracks when I see a flicker of silver. My feet automatically take me toward that flicker of silver until I'm standing in front of the Wizard's house, staring at the back of his head. I drop my fishing rod and the bucket that holds my catch of the day. He turns, startled by the sound, and smiles at me. He says, "Molly." I run toward him shouting, "WWIIIIZZZAAARRRDDD!" I hug him profusely, and it takes him a minute to hug me back. When he does, I smile. I pull back and say, "I missed you." His smile widens and he replies, "I… missed you… too. I'm sorry… it took so… long." I shook my head and said, "It's fun, as long as you didn't get abducted by evil fairies that brainwashed you into loving rainbows and unicorns." He gives me a strange look and looks as though he's about to say something when I snap my fingers and say, "Oh yeah! Guess what? I got all the wishes!" He smiles at me again and says, "Then… have you… awakened the… Harvest King?" I shake my head and say, "I wanted to wait for you!" He looks shocked for a second before he smiles again and says, "Thank… you." I take his hand, and we walk through the town, me telling him about what happened while he was gone, and him listening to me, nodding every so often.

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><p><strong>Author's Note #2: Yeah, I know. The ending seems kinda abrupt. *shrugs* So, I started college, so I might not have that much time to work on this. Hopefully I'll find time at some point though. :)<strong>


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